


Divided Souls

by PrimesGirl26



Series: Soulverse [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Agent Fowler - Freeform, Autobots - Freeform, Decepticons - Freeform, Divided Souls, Multi, OC, Optimus Prime - Freeform, Other, Transformers - Freeform, Transformers Prime - Freeform, megatron - Freeform, ratchet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-08 01:38:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 75,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4285731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrimesGirl26/pseuds/PrimesGirl26
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Optimus Prime and Sky met purely by chance. A bond is soon forged that is stronger than anything Optimus or Sky have ever known. What could a lonely human and the last Prime possibly have in common? When it is discovered that Sky has an ancient and innate power within her, Optimus must protect Sky from Megatron and his Decepticons, at all costs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan fiction set in the "Transformers Prime" verse. The relationship between Sky and Optimus is not romantic, it is more like Miko and Bulkhead's. Please comment if you like it! :) Thank you for taking the time to read ♥

I wrapped my jacket tightly around my shoulders as the cold air swirled in pretty patterns, leaving its icy kisses on my cheek. I turned out of the diner car park, bringing my scarf up over my mouth and nose, breathing into it so my face was warm. The chilly February night embraced me, but I wasn’t fazed by the darkness. I heard footsteps behind me, but paid no mind to them. I’d had a good shift at work today, it was pay day and my payslip envelope was a little thicker than usual, so I had one more reason to be happy this evening. Charlie, my boss had complained lightly about his wife’s ridiculous cravings during her pregnancy, but the way his eyes lit up when he spoke about her showed that he didn’t mind at all. I smiled as I walked down the country road, the diner I worked in was quite far out from town, and the main customers were truck drivers with protruding beer bellies. I thought of the mountain of school work waiting for me in a neat pile on my desk at home, and I felt the smile slide off of my face. Suddenly I was aware of someone standing close behind me, too close for someone you don’t know.

‘Hey gorgeous, you all right?’ I nodded without meeting his gaze and sped up my pace slightly, resisting the urge to look behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another man approaching from my left, winking at the other man. They came together and blocked my path, looking down at me and I couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the large men. I kept my eyes down and tried to sidle past them, but one of the men placed his hand on my wrist, his large thick fingers overlapping. The other man placed his hand on the small of my back, and together they herded me to the side of a large red and blue truck that was parked in the diner’s car park. He slammed me up against the side roughly, placing a large hand over my mouth. My hands gripped the skirt of my uniform, pulling it down as far as it would go, but the other man yanked them away, holding both of my wrists in one of his hands. ‘This’ll just be quick darlin’’ I heard the terrifying sound of his zip coming undone, and then was distracted by the sound of the truck’s passenger door bursting open. A tall man jumped out onto the dusty car park floor, and he towered over the other two men. He had a Stetson hat on, and ice blue eyes that glared pure disgust at the two men restraining me. He had to be at least ‘6”5 tall and he looked from one man to the other.

‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Now let the young lady go, and we’ll say no more about it.’

‘Now I don’t think this is any of your business son.’ The man holding my wrists said, trying to intimidate Mr Stetson. Mr Stetson took a step forward.

‘I can make it my business.’ His voice was achingly low, carrying the undertones of his threat. I swallowed loudly and the man dropped my wrists. The other guy zipped his jeans back up and spat at the feet of Mr Stetson as they both left. Slowly I sank to my knees, trying unsuccessfully to control my breathing. I was vaguely aware of Mr Stetson lifting me into the cab of his truck and shutting the door behind me.

‘Thank you Sir.’ I whispered, feeling enormous gratification to this man who had kept me safe from those two...I stopped myself there, not allowing my thoughts to run away with me. I turned to face him, and panicked when I saw that he wasn’t there. ‘Hello?’

‘Don’t worry; you are quite safe with me.’

‘Where have you gone?’

‘I am still here, the man you saw was merely an illusion...a holoform. Would you care to accompany me for a short drive? I will explain everything.’

‘Okay.’ I whispered, and the seatbelt came across and buckled me in seemingly of its own accord. And then we drove forward into the night.


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter One. 
> 
> If you like this - please comment! :) Thank you for taking the time to read :)

‘I’m not entirely sure I should be doing this. I mean, I’m very grateful for your intervention, but I don’t know you, and now your truck is seemingly driving on its own.’ I failed to add that I was also a lot calmer than I felt I should be, considering what had just happened.

‘Rest assured young one, I am driving and am in perfect control.’ I heard a smile in his voice. I did not answer, but retreated further within myself. We journey in silence for half an hour, the soothing rumble of the engine making me feel perfectly safe. We pulled over to the edge of a vast cliff, and my door clicked open, so I took this as my cue to get out. I jumped out lightly, the gravel crunching beneath my feet as I landed. The door shut behind me and I turned around to face the truck and was shocked to see its grill split in two, and then I watched the whole thing shift and rise up and up. Gears and metal clanged and scraped together, groaning with the effort. The end result was a strikingly humanoid shape, silhouetted against the glow of the moon. It was so huge that I had trouble comprehending it. The great head turned down to look at me, and it bore no inclination that it was about to attack. I took a step forward, and at the same time the giant knelt down.

‘You are the truck...the man?’ A single nod answered my question.

‘The man you saw was merely an illusion, a holographic image. I must ask, are you alright? I am worried for you after your encounter with those men tonight.’ At this, he shifted forward, his enormous hand coming toward me. His massive index finger moved to my chin, and he gently tilted my face up so that I was looking him directly in the eye. His eyes were great Cerulean blue orbs, and I felt that they looked directly into my soul. I shifted back instinctively, slightly uneasy as several tonnes of metal hovered just a few feet above my head.  He seemed to notice this, and shifted so that he was kneeling, and then very slowly lowered himself onto his front, so he ended up lying on his stomach (can robots have stomachs?) with his chin resting on his hands. I lowered myself so that I was sitting cross legged on the floor in front of him. Though he lowered himself slowly and gently onto the ground, it still rumbled faintly under his weight. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds before I got the guts to speak up.

‘I want to say thank you, for what you did tonight, I really appreciate it.’ The great robot responded by smiling at me gently.

‘I suppose you must be feeling very confused at the moment. I’ll try to make it quick for you. My name is Optimus Prime, and I am the leader of a sentient group of robotic organisms known as the Autobots. We are from a planet far from Earth that is called Cybertron. We are here to protect your planet from the Decepticons.’ He stopped here, waiting for me to respond. I took it all in. Extra-terrestrial robots? Deceptiwhats? I was distracted by a movement on the floor, and looked down to see his hand move toward me, palm up. I looked up at him in alarm. ‘It’s okay, I won’t hurt you. You are quite safe with me; one of the most fundamental rules of the Autobots is to safeguard other sentient life forms.’ I swallowed loudly, trying to get past the big lump that had suddenly formed in my throat.

‘Have you ever held a person before? It’s just...I don’t want to be dropped.’ Optimus chuckled gently and smiled at me again.

‘I have, but I promise that I won’t drop you.’

‘Okay..’ I said non-convincingly whilst stepping on to his palm. He waited until I was fully on before he lifted his hand. Automatically I grabbed onto his thumb for support, then let go just as quickly, not knowing how he would feel about me holding onto it. His hand was made of metal, but it looked different to the rest of the metal that covered his body. He raised the hand that I was on to his face and I was able to look him properly in the eye.

‘What’s your name?’

‘Sky. My name’s Sky.’ I knelt down on his palm and steadied myself with both hands. Optimus nodded and smiled once more.

‘That’s a nice name. It suits you.’ I looked down, embarrassed by the praise. ‘Forgive me for saying this, but you are so tiny! I know another human being, and he is nowhere near as small as you.’ I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Well you’re not exactly tiny yourself,’ I said with a smile on my face.

‘I know, but I didn’t appreciate how small you are compared to Agent Fowler.’

‘Who’s Agent Fowler? And I’m only 5’0” anyway.’

‘Agent Fowler is our designated liaison to the outside world.’

‘Our? We? Is there more of you?’ 

‘Yes there are more of us. Currently there are five Autobots on Earth, including myself.’ I nodded at this new piece of information, looking around. ‘Forgive me Sky, but by remaining here I am putting us both at risk from being spotted by both Decepticons and other humans. With your permission, I will take you back to my base and have my medic check you over, for I fear that this evening’s events with those men and meeting myself may have put you in shock.’ He didn’t give me the chance to reply but picked me up in his other hand. He smiled wryly at my startled expression. I held onto his index finger as he wrapped his fingers gently around my body. I thought he would put me back down on the ground, but he started to get to his feet, rising higher and higher.

‘Whoa!’ I exclaimed, my grip tightening on his finger. He chuckled softly.

‘Easy Sky. I’m not going to drop you.’ When Optimus was on his feet, he gently lowered me back toward the ground. ‘I’m going to transform back to my vehicular mode now.’ I nodded and stepped back, not knowing if he needed a lot of space. His body began to fold in on itself, and the sound of metal scraping against metal rang in my ears once more. A perfectly ordinary looking big rig truck stood before me again, looking as if it had just rolled fresh off of the assembly line. The passenger door swung open and I climbed in. Optimus started the engine and rolled onto the smooth tarmac, heading westward. I watched the mountains roll quietly by bathed in the silver light of the moon. I wondered idly what Optimus’s medic would be like. Would he be a robot like Optimus? Optimus had said that there were currently five Autobots on Earth including himself. Would his medic be male or female? I racked my brain trying to think back to my childhood, thinking of the cartoons I had watched as a child. None that I could remember had ever been of the sci-fi genre. I decided to ask Optimus.

‘Optimus?’

‘Yes Sky?’

‘What’s your medic like?’

‘Ratchet? He’s..’ Optimus paused for a moment, seemingly struggling to find the right word. ‘Ratchet is unique.’ I smiled at his diplomatic response to my question. I responded with another.

‘In what way?’ Optimus gained speed as we pulled onto the freeway.

‘What you have to understand about Ratchet is that he’s seen a lot of war. With war comes death and devastation. You have to keep in mind that he wasn’t able to save every one of our number that was wounded. Ratchet comes across as stern and cynical, and to a certain extent he is – as we all are. But he is also a most trusted friend. His Spark has always been in the right place.’ It was clear from Optimus’s voice that he greatly respected his medic, and I decided that I would do the same. After a brief silence, Optimus spoke up again. ‘I suppose I had better tell you about the rest of my team so it won’t be..so overwhelming when you meet them. You know about Ratchet, the medic. Next there is Bulkhead. He is a fearless warrior and will always fight for those who need it or request it. He is not always the most thoughtful of individuals, but he always does the right thing in the end. Then there is Bumblebee. He is my scout and a highly capable one indeed. He is stealthy and agile, with one of the purest Sparks it has been my pleasure to know. His voice box was permanently damaged during battle, so he is unable to speak. Lastly there is Arcee. She is the smallest out of all of us, and also the fastest. She is lethal in combat and is fiercely protective of anybody that she works with. She is also my Second in Command. I think you’ll like her.’ There was a smile in his voice, and I smiled in turn.

‘Are we nearly there?’ I asked hesitantly, not wanting to sound like a whiny child.

‘Not far now. I’ll come off at the next exit and then it is 3.6 miles from there.’ Don’t worry Sky; you’ll be quite safe with me I can assure you. Though it will probably be best if I carry you at the base so you don’t accidentally get underfoot...’ His voice trailed off uncomfortably and I was sure we both had the same mental image in our heads at that moment. I swallowed loudly.

‘Are the others as big as you?’ I practically whispered the question, not wanting to offend him. Optimus surprised me by responding with a light chuckle.

‘No, I am the biggest, tallest – however you want to put it. Though I might add that you are exceptionally small for a human.’ I had to smile at that. Charlie was always teasing me about my height, or lack of it and Dad liked the fact that I was small because...

I stopped myself there, taking in a sharp breath. Optimus noticed and decelerated slightly. ‘Sky? Are you alright?’

‘I’m fine Optimus’ I replied, though my voice was wobbly. I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts I hadn’t noticed that we had left the freeway. It was dark outside, but I was able to see from Optimus’s headlights that we were on a dirt road. Looming in front of us was a huge tower of rock, and I thought childishly if I stood at the top then I could touch the moon. I was about to say something as Optimus drove past a stop sign without slowing when I realised he was headed straight for the huge rock in front of us. Instinctively I reached over and grabbed the wheel but it didn’t budge.

‘Don’t worry Sky’ Optimus said as the cliff wall in front of us came down to reveal a tunnel going into the rock itself. I couldn’t help but gasp. Taking a deep breath, I readied myself to meet the other Autobots.


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like this, please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read ♥

I squirmed uncomfortably in Optimus’s palm while he contacted the other Autobots over his comm. link to come into the main room of the base. Optimus seemed to sense my nerves and looked down at me encouragingly, his great blue eyes gazing at me kindly.

‘Do not worry Sky. Everything will be fine.’

I sat bolt upright when I heard heavy metal footsteps come from a corridor to the left of Optimus and me. The first to emerge from the shadows was a reddish orange and white robot. He had an intelligent looking face with red eyebrow crests above each eye. His eyes widened when he saw me, and he muttered something that sounded like 'for the love of Primus.' After him came an army green robot who was oddly proportioned. He had a large bulky body and long arms but extremely short legs when I compared him to Optimus and the other robot. Next emerged a small blue robot who had a distinctly feminine shape. She was small and delicate, but had an unmistakable air of toughness about her. She was positively tiny compared to Optimus, her head barely brushing the top of his waist. Lastly came a yellow robot with black racing stripes across his chest and back. He had an eager friendly face, and his eyes seemed to be smiling warmly at me, for he had no mouth. Optimus named them in the order that they had come into the room.  

 

'Sky, meet my fellow Autobots. This is Ratchet, my medic. Here we have Bulkhead. Bulkhead is an ex-wrecker. The Wreckers were once a team that operated separately from the Autobots, but they were wholly on our side. The Wreckers accepted missions that no one else would. This is Arcee, my Second in Command and an extremely talented fighter. Last but certainly not least, we have Bumblebee. Bumblebee is my young scout.' At this, Bumblebee beeped excitedly and stood on tiptoe to get a better look (he was only slightly taller than Arcee). Ratchet stepped forward with a stern frown on his face. 

 

'Optimus. I really must protest. Bringing a  _human_ into the base? What was going through your processor?' Bumblebee stepped forward and put a restraining hand on Ratchet's shoulder, but Ratchet merely shook him off. Ratchet's eyes kept switching from Optimus to me, and I shrank away from him, feeling slightly intimidated. I was surprised that Ratchet spoke to his leader with such boldness, but perhaps that was the norm where the Autobots were from. Not one of the other Autobots had saluted Optimus and I filed that thought away in readiness to ask Optimus later. Optimus responded surprisingly calmly to Ratchet's sudden outburst. 

 

'Ratchet. This is Sky, a young female human I encountered whilst out on patrol tonight. She was being harassed by two male humans, and I believe that they would have caused her harm had I not stepped in. I couldn't just stand by and watch it happen whilst it was in my power to stop it. I did not reveal my true form to Sky until we were well away from any populated areas. I brought her back here because I did not want her to be alone after tonight's events, and I wish for you to check her over as I believe she's in some mild shock.' 

 

'Optimus, I have very limited knowledge of human biology and of their medical science.' 

 

'I realise that old friend, but perhaps you can scan her vital statistics?' Ratchet nodded and Optimus placed me onto a raised platform. Ratchet then raised his arm and a thin line appeared just above his wrist. From this thin line emanated a green light that changed to red when it passed over my body. 

 

'Her heart rate is a bit fast, but otherwise she is fine. Though my scan picked up a number of bruises on her torso.' I didn't want Ratchet to expand on this, so I spoke up quickly. 

 

'Thank you Ratchet. I do appreciate this.' I nodded at him with what I hoped was an approximation of a smile. It felt very forced. Ratchet looked surprised that I was addressing him directly. 

 

'You're err...welcome. It was my pleasure.' I felt compelled to reassure Ratchet that I wasn't all bad. 

 

'Um Ratchet?' He turned to look at me, a wary look on his face. 

 

'Yes?' 

 

'I just want you to know that I'm not a threat to you or the others. You and Optimus have my word that I will not tell anyone about you. It might sound dramatic, but Optimus did save me tonight, and if the only way I can repay that favour is with my silence, then I will gladly do so.' At my words, Ratchet's facial expression changed from stern to pleasantly surprised. 

 

'You wouldn't tell anyone of our existence?' 

 

'No. Optimus has done me a great kindness this evening, and it would be a poor way of showing my thanks if I were to tell anybody of your existence.' 

 

‘Thank you very much. That means a lot that you say that. I want to apologise for my earlier behaviour; I don’t react very well to newcomers, so please accept my apology.’ I smiled at him and he smiled back.

 

‘I will gladly accept your apology Ratchet.’ Ratchet nodded at Optimus and me, and then left the room via one of the side corridors. Optimus reached up and offered me his palm, and I climbed on after a second’s hesitation. He left through the same corridor as Ratchet had, but turned left into a huge doorway, so huge he didn’t even have to stoop. We came into a large room with a single computer like the one in the main room, and a large raised platform in the back left corner. Optimus went over to this and sat down on it, wrapping all his fingers firmly around me and placing me next to him. I winced a little as his strong fingers made contact with the bruises on my ribs and back. The pressure wasn’t strong, but these bruises were less than a day old, so they were still very tender to the touch. Optimus noticed and looked down at me in alarm.

‘Have I hurt you Sky?’ I struggled to quickly think of a coherent response.

‘Um no, I just..’ I couldn’t think of anything to say, and I was sure the panic was evident on my face. Optimus gently scooped me up so that I was sitting as you would on a chair, my legs dangling over the side of his hand.

‘Sky, please tell me. Have I hurt you? My audio receptors detected the sound of your pain as I picked you up.’ I sighed, not meeting his penetrating gaze. Ratchet’s scan had already picked up my bruises, and I could only avoid questions for so long.

‘No Optimus, you just touched my bruises, and they’re still quite tender from yesterday.’ Optimus’s ‘eyebrows’ rose in confusion.

‘What happened to you yesterday?’ It was as if Optimus’s question had unlocked a secret door. I wanted to tell Optimus everything, something inside of me was telling me to do so.

‘You want me to tell you?’ Optimus nodded earnestly, waiting for me to continue. ‘I live with my father, it’s just the two of us in the house and he’s not the easiest man to live with. He doesn’t have a job, so I’m the only one bringing money into the house. My job doesn’t pay very well, but I’m saving up to go to school. If I don’t get dinner on the table quickly enough or pay the subscription bill to his favourite sports channel, he’ll get...’ I hesitated here, wondering if I should continue.

‘He’ll get what Sky?’ Optimus prompted gently.

‘He’ll get violent with me.’ I whispered. ‘He’s how I got these bruises,’ and I slowly lifted my t-shirt to just below my bra strap, then I carefully turned around in Optimus’s palm so that my back was to him. I heard him murmur something softly, but I couldn’t make out what it was. I felt his cool fingers gently stroke the outline of each inky bruise. It was the gentlest way I’d ever been touched in my life and it brought tears to my eyes. I pulled my top back down and turned to face Optimus again. The expression on Optimus’s face was one of sheer horror and disgust.

‘Your father did this to you?’ I nodded, hastily wiping my eyes. Optimus shook his great head and his other hand clenched into a tight fist. ‘But humans are supposed to protect and cherish their young, not harm them.’ I smiled at him sadly.

‘You’re right Optimus, parents are supposed to look after their children. You’ll be sad to find out that a large number of the population hurt their kids.’ Optimus ran one finger down my cheek, and I leant into his touch, craving more of the tender contact.

‘He shall harm you no more Sky. I shall protect you from him from now on.’

I nearly fainted with relief.


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read ♥

I was interrupted from my relieved reverie by a sudden beeping noise. I looked around in alarm, waiting for smoke and flames to come seeping around the corner. Optimus came and gently scooped me into his palm before walking briskly back to the main communications room. I held onto his fingers with both hands whilst kneeling, struggling not to bounce with the motion of his light jog. 

 

'What is it?' I asked nervously, looking up to see what his facial expression was.' 

 

'It is a proximity sensor letting us know that someone has landed on top of the silo. It is most likely Agent Fowler. However I fear he will not take my contact with you lightly.' I didn't reply but swallowed loudly, sinking back down in his palm. 'It'll be alright Sky, I promise.' There was a long pillar in the centre of the communications room, and it stopped on a balcony like structure that was level with most of the Autobots. Of course Optimus towered over it, but that couldn't be helped. I gathered that there was a lift in the pillar, and that Agent Fowler was now coming down in it. Optimus stood still and looked straight at the lift doors, and I tried to do the same from his palm. As I stood, my legs wobbled beneath me and I fell back onto my bum. Optimus gently pushed me back into an upright position with two fingers of his other hand. The lift doors opened to reveal a stocky man with dark skin and curly black hair. He was wearing black trousers, a white shirt and a grey suit jacket. His tie was black with yellow and red stripes. His gaze went straight to Optimus, and to be fair to the man he didn’t flinch or show any signs of being intimidated by Optimus and his fellow Autobots. Then his gaze fell on me. I gave a feeble smile and half-heartedly waved, but the look on his face told me there was no point even trying. I honestly thought that he was going to implode. 

 

'Contact with civilians? I have cleared up a lot of your mistakes in the past Prime, but this is something that I cannot condone! Hand her over, and she'll be taken into federal custody. Of course it'll mean a tonne of paperwork for me, I can't exactly wipe her memory can I? You could do it for me Prime, but I'll be surprised if we could find a pen big enough for ya!' His tone of voice was full of annoyance and resentment. To say that he was angry about me being there would be an understatement. I was surprised at the rudeness to Optimus, especially as Optimus could crush him to a pile of flesh and bones if he wanted to. However, Optimus's calm demeanour never wavered. 

 

'Hear me Agent Fowler. Please let me explain?' Agent Fowler just nodded and flopped down into a faded brown sofa, having a bit of a face palm moment. 

 

Optimus then raised the hand that I was sitting on to his shoulder; he then took me between two fingers and placed me gently on his shoulder. From the new height, I quickly moved to Optimus's face and held on tightly. He chuckled quietly, and I let go. His smile told me that it was okay, so I held on once more. 

 

'Sky, this is the liaison that I was telling you about, Agent Fowler. Agent Fowler, this is my charge-' at this Agent Fowler jumped off of the sofa, his eyes almost bulging out of his head. 

 

'Charge?! So you're just taking random civilians and calling them your 'charges'?!! I don't think so. Hand her over right now.' 

 

'Agent Fowler, may I remind you that you were going to let me explain?' Optimus motioned for Agent Fowler to sit down once more and he did so, blowing air out of his mouth at the same time. Before Agent Fowler could respond, Optimus carried on talking. 

 

'As I was saying, Agent Fowler, this is my charge; Sky.' At this Agent Fowler briefly inclined his head to me, and I again offered a feeble smile. 'A few hours ago I was on patrol in a sparsely populated area. I had parked in a 'truck stop' - I believe it is called that anyway, as I felt I blended in more suitably. I then witnessed Sky coming out of the building, obviously intending to go home. She was then followed by two men who were a bit close to her for my liking, but as I am not wholly familiar with human customs as of yet, I presumed it to be suitable behaviour. She did not acknowledge the two men, but had no choice but to when they pushed her up against my vehicular mode. One of the men restrained her so that she could not get away, whilst the other started to take off his lower clothing. He undid his zip I believe. It was at that point that I chose to intervene. I activated my holoform and told the men to leave her alone, and they begrudgingly obliged. I then offered to drive Sky somewhere quiet so that she could recover from her..encounter. I then proceeded to take her to a perfectly secluded environment so that there was minimal risk of me being spotted in my bipedal form. I then transformed in front of her and told her who I was, about the Autobots, Decepticons and what we are all doing on Earth. I then took her back to base where Ratchet scanned her and confirmed that she was in a light shock due to the evening's events. She then met the other Autobots and then came with me to my quarters, and then we met you.' 

 

I hoped Agent Fowler never gambled or played cards, because he had a really crap poker face. His mouth was hanging open, and his eyes were wide circles. 

 

'Please excuse my earlier protestations Prime. I see now why you had to step in. Are you okay miss?' He asked, moving his gaze from Optimus to me. 

 

'I'm fine thank you. Agent Fowler, I promise not to tell another living soul about the Autobots, I'll sign anything you want me to. Just please let me stay for a few days.' 

 

'I don't see why you can't, as long as you don't get in the way of day to day work...no offence.' He said, offering a guilty smile. 

 

'What's the day to day work?' At this point, Bulkhead exploded into the room. 

 

'CRUSHIN' DECEPTICON TAILPIPES!' The monstrous volume of his voice made me jump. Optimus noticed this and hastily removed me from his shoulder; perhaps for fear that I might fall off. It  _was_ a pretty big drop. 'Oops. Sorry Sky.' Bulkhead said sheepishly, looking at his feet. 

 

'It's okay.' I said with a smile.  

 

'Excuse me, Sky? Have we met somewhere before?' I turned at the sound of Agent Fowler's voice, and I rapidly wracked my brain to find any reference to this man who thought he knew me. 

 

'I don't think so sir, I would've remembered you had we met before.' Then his eyes widened again, and a broad smile broke onto his face. 

 

'You're right. I haven't met you before, but I've met your replica. Sky, I used to date your mother a long time ago.' 

 

 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this! :) ♥

****

I felt the blood drain from my face.

‘You used to date my mother?’ Agent Fowler nodded, still with the large smile on his face.

‘Yes, we met when she was interning for the Army Applications Office where I was an Army Ranger. It was about twenty years ago. How is she?’ His question left my mouth dry, and my throat constricted as I tried to fight back tears.

‘I haven’t seen my mother for a long time Agent Fowler. I don’t know where she is, so neither do I know how she is. She might be dead for all I know.’ I saw his eyes widen in shock at my words.

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean exactly what I say Agent Fowler; I haven’t seen my mother since I was four years old. She left one night, and didn’t come back. I’ve had no contact with her for almost fifteen years.’ Agent Fowler reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and used it to wipe his brow on which a few beads of sweat had formed.

‘Well..for what it’s worth, you look just like her when I knew her. You’ve got the same jet black hair.’ I didn’t know how to respond to that. Agent Fowler was clearly fond of my mother, and I had mixed feelings about her. On one hand, I was desperate to know her more and find out what she was like as a person. The other part of me hated her for leaving me with that cruel man who only let me stay in that house because I cooked, cleaned and brought in the money. My hand subconsciously went to the newest set of bruises.

‘When you knew her…was there anyone else on the scene?’

‘Your mother wasn’t that sort of woman Sky. But now that you mention it, there was one guy who used to follow her around all the time. Please excuse me for asking, but how old are you?’

‘I’m nineteen Agent Fowler.’ He didn’t answer but merely grunted, his brow furrowed in thought.

‘Prime. Could I please talk to Sky alone?’ Optimus looked down at me, waiting for my answer. I certainly didn’t want to talk to Agent Fowler on my own, especially when I presumed that the conversation would be about my non-existent mother. I gave a tiny shake of my head.

‘I’m afraid I can’t let that happen Agent Fowler. I would like to be present, Sky has been through a lot tonight, and I think it would help if she had a familiar face to back her up.’ Agent Fowler snorted in response to Optimus’s request.

‘A familiar face?! She’s known you for all of what? Four, five hours?’ Optimus just smiled through Agent Fowler’s tirade.

‘That’s as it may be, but I’ve known her for four or five hours longer than you have Agent Fowler. Let us leave the decision up to Sky. Sky, would you like me to be present during your discussion with Agent Fowler?’ I nodded, wrapping my arm tightly around his thumb. Agent Fowler sighed and nodded in defeat. Optimus motioned for the others to leave, and they did so, fairly quietly. Optimus walked over to the raised platform upon which Agent Fowler was standing and reached out his hand. When he didn’t step on, Optimus gently curled his fingers around Agent Fowler and lifted him into the air. He started to protest, but Optimus only walked a few steps to the examination berth and sat down on it, placing me and Agent Fowler next to him. Though he let go of Agent Fowler, he left his hand curled loosely around me, pulling me to lean against his thigh.

‘Why did you ask if there was anyone else on the scene? What do you know?’

‘I think that the guy you mentioned is my father. Clarence?’ I offered the name as a question, and Agent Fowler considered it.

‘Now you mention it, that name does sound familiar. He cornered Roxy one day, I don’t know what he said, but the next day she came to tell me it was over. I didn’t see her again after that, only a letter came to my apartment to tell me how sorry she was. And you say you’re nineteen? She couldn’t have been with Clarence long before she fell pregnant with you then.’

‘Yes, you’re right. My dad is…a violent person. If he doesn’t get his way he won’t hesitate to hit you.’ Agent Fowler’s eyes widened.

‘Has he ever hit you?’ I nodded and my hand found Optimus’s finger, seeking the comfort that he provided.

‘Yes, he had hit me before Agent Fowler. But, if it’s okay with you, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.’ Agent Fowler flushed and looked down at his feet, obviously embarrassed.

‘Yes of course, I’m sorry Sky. I need to be getting on any way. Prime, good to see you again. Optimus inclined his head to Agent Fowler, and the brief silence was broken by my stomach emitting a thunderous growl. Optimus looked down at me in alarm. Agent Fowler suppressed a laugh. ‘Prime,’ he said, stepping forward with a plain black wallet in his hand. ‘Do me a favour and get her something to eat. She must be starving.’ I looked up at Optimus as he took the wallet from Agent Fowler.

‘Agent Fowler, I cannot take your money. I-‘ Agent Fowler cut him off there saying,

‘It’s not my money Prime. It’s Government money that is supposed to be used in emergencies. In case you ‘bots ever need your afts saved. You can count this as an emergency. Now, I have a date with a lovely little lady who likes to be called paperwork. Look after her Prime.’ He said, nodding to me, and then he was gone. My stomach rumbled once more, and Optimus handed me the wallet.

‘You’d best look after this Sky, it’s a bit small for me to be keeping safe.’ I nodded and tucked it into the front pocket of my work shirt. ‘Did Agent Fowler mean for me to take you to refuel?’ I felt confused for a second, and then it clicked.

‘Yeah, but refuelling for humans is also known as eating.’ Optimus smiled and stood – even from the raised platform of the berth, I still had to crane my neck to see his face. He then quickly scooped me up and placed me on the floor next to his foot.

‘We’d better go and get you some food then. Step back a moment, I’m going to transform.’ I did as he said and again watched in amazement as his body folded in on itself, and at the end of the procedure stood a perfectly ordinary big rig truck. The passenger door swung open and I clambered in quickly, shutting the door behind me. He then rumbled out of the base and into the night. The sky was littered with stars, and I watched the world roll quietly by, leaning back into Optimus’s comfy seat. After about twenty minutes, Optimus pulled up beside a petrol station, where there was a little shop. ‘Will this be okay?’

‘It’s fine thank you Optimus. I’ll be right back.’ I hopped out of the cab and Optimus kept the engine idling quietly, a low but soothing hum. I hurried into the store and grabbed the first things that my hands touched, a cheese and tomato sandwich, a bottle of water and some cheap pyjamas for the night. I dreaded to think what the morning would bring. I so didn’t want to go back to my father. I paid quickly and then got back into Optimus, placing the plastic bag between my feet.

‘Are you not going to eat now?’

‘If you don’t mind, I’ll wait until we get back to the base if that’s okay?’

‘Of course it is Sky. Whatever you’re comfortable with.’

‘Thanks Optimus, I really appreciate this.’

‘You’re more than welcome Sky. I’m not sure why, it might be this evening’s events; but I feel extremely protective of you.’ I didn’t quite know how to respond to that, so I just sat back and stared out of the window. Optimus didn’t seem to feel the need to fill the empty silence, and it was nice to just admire the view whilst listening to the quiet rumble of his engine.

When we got back to the base I hopped out of the cab once more and Optimus transformed behind me. Bending down he waited for me to climb onto his palm and this time I did so without hesitation. He put me down on the raised platform and I sat down and got my sandwich out of the packaging. As I started eating, I didn’t realise how hungry I was and had to remind myself not to eat like a total animal, I didn’t want Optimus to think badly of me. When I finished, I looked up to see Optimus making a face at my sandwich. My hand automatically went to my mouth, sweeping away any stray crumbs.

‘What is it?’

‘How can you be full after such an insubstantial meal?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘That meal was so tiny; I mean how can you feel full?’ He picked up the packaging with difficulty and scrutinized the label. ‘And it is not very nutritious.’ I stood up whilst trying not to laugh.

‘Don’t panic Optimus; it’s only to tide me over for the night.’ Optimus nodded but didn’t look convinced. I tried to stifle a yawn unsuccessfully, and Optimus noticed. 

‘I have learned that in order for a human to get sufficient rest, they must sleep for eight to twelve hours.’ Holding up a hand before he could pick me up, I said;

‘Before I go to sleep, can I change somewhere?’ Optimus looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face.

‘Change? I don’t understand.’

‘Change my clothes, put my pyjamas on.’

‘Okay, I suppose you could change in the elevator.’ He opened the doors for me, and I quickly stepped in and changed. When I emerged again, he was waiting with his hand palm up. I stepped on and he proceeded back to the room where we had been before Agent Fowler had arrived. ‘These are my private quarters; the Autobots each have their own private space.’ I merely nodded and yawned into my hand. I suddenly felt immensely tired. Optimus seemed to sense this and lay down on his berth, placing me on his chest. With his hand curled around me, I was warm and safe, and fell asleep in seconds.

 


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There is some domestic violence and swearing/cursing in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this! :) ♥

I woke to find Optimus’s hand laying gently over me, keeping me firmly in place. I turned over onto my stomach and tried to look at Optimus’s face. As soon as he felt me move, Optimus moved his hand away so that I could sit up. He was smiling at me warmly and then sat up slightly, cupping his hand behind me so that I could lean against it.

‘Did you sleep well? I was worried that you might not have been comfortable last night, what with sleeping on my chest..’ his voice trailed off into an awkward silence.

‘It was fine, really. Actually it was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in months.’

‘Good. Were you warm enough?’ I nodded, covering a yawn with one hand. ‘Agent Fowler came this morning and dropped off some breakfast supplies for you, porridge, bread and some strange crunchy things in a vacuum pack.’ I laughed quietly to myself at this and stretched lightly. ‘Are you hungry? I can cook you something if you like.’ Though I had only known Optimus for little more than a day, I already trusted him and felt a strong bond that would soon evolve. I gave him an amused look, raising one eyebrow.

‘With all due respect Optimus, how will you cook me some breakfast?’ He gave me a small half smile and gathered me up in his left palm.

‘With you here now I now have an opportunity to use the human facilities in my quarters.’ I looked up at him in confusion.

‘Why would you need human facilities?’

‘We each have a small kitchen, bathroom and sofa bed for Agent Fowler in our private quarters, but he has yet to use them, so I see no problem with you using the facilities in my quarters.’ He walked over to a military style catwalk/platform, on which were the kitchen facilities. It was raised, so Optimus wouldn’t have to bend down.

‘Look, don’t worry about cooking me breakfast, I can manage.’ I said this with a smile and Optimus smiled back. He let me step off his palm onto the platform and I went over to the work surface where some grocery bags had been left. Inside I found a box of porridge. I got it out and then hunted in the cupboard for a saucepan. I found one and put it on the gas hob with some boiling water. I poured the porridge in and turned and leant against the work top whilst I waited for it to boil. The platform was roughly at chest level with Optimus, and I looked up to see that he was making a face similar to the one he had made last night to my sandwich. ‘What?’ I asked.

‘That doesn’t look very appetizing; let me see if I can find something else to make it a bit more interesting.’ And saying this, he reached up and tried to open one of the cupboards. I watched with an amused expression on my face as he tried unsuccessfully to grapple the door open. He managed to open it slightly and then pinched it between his finger and thumb, and pulled a little too hard. The door came off in his hand and I couldn’t help but laugh at his bemused expression. ‘Well, at least there’s something for you to have with your porridge,’ he said, gesturing toward the fridge. Inside was a punnet of fresh strawberries.

‘Thanks Optimus, that’ll make it a bit nicer. Do you want me to take the door?’ I said, not being able to prevent the smile sliding onto my face.

‘No thank you Sky. You have your breakfast. I’ll fix the door later on.’ By this point my porridge was ready, so I pulled up a nearby stool and sat down to eat it.

'Can I tell you something Optimus?' 

'You are more than welcome to tell me anything Sky.' 

 I finished my porridge and sat awkwardly on my hands whilst Optimus waited patiently for me to continue. 

 'Well I wanted to thank you again for last night, I'm used to fending for myself, but not in that way. Although dad has hit me for years, he has never..' I hesitated here, not knowing how to word it. 'He has never hurt me sexually.' I winced as I said the words, automatically turning away. I felt Optimus's gentle touch tilt my face back toward him. 

 'Do not be afraid Sky. You can tell me anything, and I swear on the AllSpark that I will never judge you.' I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but they didn't spill over. 

 

'I feel safe with you Optimus, you make me feel complete. For as long as I can remember I have looked after my dad, we stopped getting money from the State when I turned eighteen, and I literally went out the next day and took the job at the diner. I'm tired of looking after someone who is supposed to be looking after me.' 

 

'Well you don't have to worry about that anymore, because I will look after you, if that is your wish. I don't mean physically because obviously you're more than capable. But I mean emotionally. I've only known you for a day, but already I feel an attachment to you, a compulsion to protect you. To be honest, it would be nice to have the company,' he said with a guilty smile and slight tilt of the head. It took me a moment to respond, I was taking in all that he had said. 

 

'Thank you. I would like that. But let me ask you one thing. You said you wouldn't mind the company, but aren't the others sufficient company for you?' Optimus chuckled lightly. 

 

'They are sufficient company Sky, and I would give my life for any one of them. But they are my soldiers, and I have to present myself as a leader and a soldier to them. They expect me to be able to deal with any problem at any time, and so they should. I am responsible for their safety and wellbeing. I have to keep my emotions under control, no matter what the situation may be. What I meant about company, is that with you I feel I can be more..free with my emotions. Already you have made me temporarily forget about the war between the Autobots and Decepticons.' Wow.

 

'I'm honoured that you feel that way Optimus, but tell me more about these Decepticons.' 

 

'The Decepticons are our opponents in the war. Their leader is Megatron, a ruthless and unpredictable individual. They vastly outnumber us, and have no respect whatsoever for humans. If a human was to meet a Decepticon, he or she would most certainly be killed.' I swallowed loudly. 'I also have another reason for wanting to keep you close. Our base has a shielding technology that hides our life signals from intruders. But the minute that we leave that shield's protection, we are vulnerable to Decepticon attack. It is highly possible that you were seen with me last night, Megatron has Decepticon sentries everywhere. And they will perceive you as my ally, which in turn will put you at considerable risk.' I nodded slowly, standing at the same time. My legs felt slightly shaky and Optimus seemed to sense this because he gently scooped me up. 'My apologies Sky, I have put all this information upon you too quickly.' I shook my head. 

 

'No Optimus, it's just a lot to take it, that's all. Optimus, am I right in thinking that you want me to stay?' 

 

'Only if you want to Sky. It would mean doing some paperwork with Agent Fowler, but I will leave the decision entirely up to you.' I chewed my lip thoughtfully. I had wanted to escape my life for as long as I could remember, but could I really leave my father on his own? Regardless of my decision, I would have to go back to the house to face my father. 

 

'Could I stay with you? I won't get in the way, and I'll do whatever you need me to.' A broad smile broke onto Optimus's face. 

 

'I would love it if you stayed, you're more than welcome to Sky.' 

 

'Would it be alright if we go back to my house so I can pack some things?' 

 

'Of course - though I would prefer if Agent Fowler was able to accompany you, just in case your father gets violent.' I swallowed again. 

 

'That sounds fair enough. Would Agent Fowler mind?' Optimus smiled slightly, a glazed look coming into his eyes. 

 

'Somehow, I don't think he'll mind in the slightest. I'll contact him via the comm. link.' 

 

***

 

An hour later, Agent Fowler, Optimus and I were on our way to my house to pick up some stuff. 

 

'Thank you for agreeing to do this Agent Fowler, it means a lot.' 

 

'That's not a problem Sky, though I think Prime would rather escort you himself. But, for obvious reasons, that isn't possible.' Optimus's voice rumbled over the radio speakers. 

 

'I appreciate that Agent Fowler, but I WILL intervene if I feel it is necessary. Do I take this left Sky?' 

 

'Yes, and then a sharp right, a lot of people miss it the first time. Actually, I think-' I didn't get time to voice my concerns as Optimus struggled to make the tight corner. As I had feared, the road was too narrow for Optimus to fit down comfortably and safely. 

 

'Hmm. It seems I will not fit down this road. I will wait for you here Sky. Please look after her Agent Fowler.' 

 

'Don't worry Prime, will do.' I hopped out of the cab and walked briskly down the road to the front door, Agent Fowler was easily keeping pace with me. I slipped my key into the lock and wrestled the door open, switching on the hall light as I did so. Agent Fowler followed me in, and I gestured to him to keep quiet. I didn't want to wake my father if I didn't have to. I went straight to my room and got an old duffel bag, throwing in anything and everything. A few vital toiletries, underwear and all my clothes. I didn't have much. I heard the ominous sound of dad shifting his weight on the couch, and prayed silently that he was just moving in his sleep. He wasn't. I heard him stumble clumsily down the hall, kicking discarded beer bottles out of his way. He appeared in my doorway. He still had the same vest on, stained with dried vomit. His eyes couldn't focus on one thing for very long, and even though I was standing at least two metres away from him, I could still smell the stale stench of his alcoholic breath. He took in the scene, flicking his gaze from Agent Fowler, to my bag, to me and then back to Agent Fowler. His face screwed up in concentration. 

 

'You! You're the reason she left me y'know. She didn't wan' me! I could give her.......everything she dreamed of! But she wanted..you.' His speech was slurred and barely understandable from his heavy drinking. He turned to me. 

 

'You fucking bitch. Now you're gonna leave me..for him? I tell you what you are, you're a fucking slut like your mother!' He lunged for me, fist raised. Agent Fowler prepared to intercept him, but out of pure instinct, I pushed him out of the way. Dad grabbed my wrist and hurled me against the wall. My head pounded as it made contact, and I felt warmth in my hair. He flung me onto the bed, my wrist still in his hand. 

 

'Dad please! You don't understand! I'm not leaving you for him! I am leaving you though! I've had enough!' This only made him more angry, and he twisted my wrist the wrong way round, and I heard a sickening crunch, followed by a sudden stab of pain. Agent Fowler was on his feet again and trying to pull dad off me, but dad was too quick, even in his drunken state. He elbowed Agent Fowler from behind, and his nose erupted in a gush of scarlet blood.  Somehow, past the scuffle that was going on in my room, I heard the sound of the front door banging against the wall. Less than a second later, Optimus's holoform was in the doorway, pulling dad off of me with one hand. 

 

'That's ENOUGH!' He did not hurt dad, but shoved him onto the floor. He then scooped me up into his arms as easily as if I weighed nothing, hoisting my bag over one shoulder. 

 

'Wait, Agent Fowler!' 

 

'I'm alright Sky, just need to stop this damn bleeding.'

 

'In the kitchen, take the kitchen roll.' He nodded and disappeared. Optimus carried me quickly back out, and placed me in his cab. Then he disappeared. 

 

'I'm sorry Sky, I can only keep up my holoform for minutes at a time. Are you okay?' 

 

'I'm fine, don't worry Optimus, I've had worse. I'm more worried about Agent Fowler.' At that point, Agent Fowler scrambled into the cab. 

 

'Sweet Lady Liberty! He's a crazy one!' 

 

'Are you okay?' Agent Fowler nodded, keeping the pressure on his nose. 

 

'What about you? That wrist looks nasty.' He gently took my injured wrist and examined it carefully. It was already swelling, and I could see the faint marks of my father's fingers beginning to bruise. 'Can you clench your fist?' I tried, and pain shot up my arm. I shook my head, cursing inwardly. 'I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure that wrist is broken. We should get Ratchet to have a look once we get back to base. Prime?' 

 

'Affirmative Agent Fowler.' 

 

Within the hour, we were back at the base and Ratchet had confirmed that my wrist was indeed broken. He had dressed it with some difficulty, using his holoform for about eight minutes at a time. I was sitting with Optimus, on his leg whilst he spoke with Ratchet in quiet clicks. When Ratchet left the room, he turned to look at me. 

 

'Thank you Optimus.' He didn't reply but took my wrist in two fingers, with the gentleness of a new mother. 

 

'I am sorry Sky. That should not have happened, to you or Agent Fowler.' 

 

'It's not your fault Optimus, I've had worse. Dad has broken two of my ribs before now, so I wouldn't worry about it. Six weeks and I'll be good as new.' My words did not change the bleak expression on his face. He moved to lay down on the berth, placing me gently on his chest, one hand over me. 

 

'Rest now little one, I will keep you safe.' I didn't answer, but laid on my side and let the pain killers that Ratchet had given me take effect, and drag me under. 


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this! :) ♥

When I woke, the light was dim so I thought it must be late night or early morning. Optimus’s eyes were closed, a relaxed expression on his face. I moved up and down with the motion of his chest, and listened to the sound of air leaving his body. There were two parts of his grill just beneath where I was lying and I could feel the cool air as it hissed gently through. After a few minutes, it began to sound like gentle snoring, and I found this highly amusing. I smiled to myself whilst trying not to laugh. I shifted my weight slightly and this caused Optimus to open his eyes.

‘I’m sorry Optimus, I didn’t mean to wake you.’

‘That’s okay, and you didn’t wake me anyway. I was in a light recharge.’

‘Is that like your version of sleeping?’ Optimus looked thoughtful as he answered my question.

‘Yes. I suppose you could say that. Though I have kept certain sensors on to alert me to movement and Decepticons. I have also locked my position once I am in recharge.’

‘Why?’

‘Well, if I was to roll over in recharge and you were lying on my chest…’ his voice trailed off as I realised what he meant.

‘Ohh..’ he nodded at my response.

‘How is your wrist?’ I looked down subconsciously at my wrist, which was now dressed in a hard blue cast. It was throbbing a little, but wasn’t overly painful.

‘It’s alright, just a little uncomfortable. What’s the time by the way?’

‘It is currently oh-four-hundred.’ My mouth fell open.

‘Whoa! Four o’clock as in four in the morning? You mean I’ve been asleep for more than twelve hours?’ Optimus nodded, moving so that he was in a sitting position. As he picked me up and got off the berth, I racked my brains to try and remember the last time I had slept for more than twelve hours, but I couldn’t. At home, I was always the first up to do the housework, balance the books and got to work. If I dropped off during the day, dad’s shouting for a beer would wake me up. Optimus set me down on the platform and I hopped off his hand. I just had a cereal bar for breakfast as I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry, and then got dressed quickly. Optimus then walked to the main communications room and I sat on his shoulder, swaying slightly with the motion of his walk.

‘Sky, I have to go on patrol for a few hours this afternoon, and it would be against protocol for you to come with me. Would it be okay if you stayed here? I’m sure Ratchet wouldn’t mind keeping you company.’ I was about to answer when another voice spoke before I could.

‘I’ll watch her if you like, she can help me run a few diagnostic tests.’ Arcee had come silently into the room, and was smiling warmly at me. ‘Honestly Optimus, it is no bother. We’ll have fun won’t we Sky?’ Optimus looked down at me, asking me with his eyes. I nodded, not wanting to make things difficult for the Autobots.

‘Would you mind staying with Arcee while I go on patrol?’

‘Okay, if that’s okay with you Arcee.’

‘Course it is, see you in a few hours Sky.’ She jumped up and transformed in mid-air. Landing on her back wheel and speeding out of the base. Optimus looked pleasantly surprised.

‘What is it?’ I asked.

‘Just Arcee. It is surprising to see her so…sociable.’

‘Oh? Is she usually sad?’

‘No no, not like that. She just keeps herself to herself. She doesn’t let many people in.’ I nodded but didn’t say anything. I knew all too well that type of person because I _was_ that type of person. My boss, Charlie always used to call me his little wallflower. He never taunted me, just teased me gently. But then he didn’t know the real reason for why I was the way I was.

‘I get that though because I’m like that. I think that trust is one of the most important things that you can give a person. It gives someone immense power over you, gives them the opportunity to break you open for everyone to see. But it also creates a bond that is so strong and special; I don’t think anything can break a trust between true hearts.’ I stopped suddenly, annoyed at myself for going off on a tangent. Optimus looked at me gently, moving me up towards his face.

‘Know this Sky. I will never hurt you, or break you open for everyone to see. I trust you.’ As he said this, he nuzzled me softly with his helm. Once more the tender contact brought tears to my eyes and I found myself hugging him back. Optimus drew away and very gently took my injured wrist between a finger and thumb. ‘I haven’t been on this Earth for very long, but of all the humans that I have seen and observed, you have the purest heart. And you are easily the tiniest creature I have ever seen.’ I had to laugh at that.

‘Well you’re not exactly tiny yourself. Look!’ Grabbing his forefinger, I placed my good hand on the tip of his finger. It didn’t even cover half of the width. ‘See?’

‘I see little one. You are safe with me.’ We spent the rest of the morning talking about anything and everything. Optimus was keen to learn more about human customs and culture. He told me about the Great War on Cybertron, about how Megatron had become corrupt and evil, determined to become a dictator of the Cybertronian race. As I watched Optimus talk, I caught a glimpse of the person he was inside. He was strong and noble, intent on protecting everything around him. I saw a selfless and caring individual who put the greatest effort that he was capable of into everything that he did. I noticed the way his eyes lit up when he talked about Cybertron, and the sad look that came onto his face when he recounted the final days before Cybertron went dark. Soon the sun had climbed to its highest point in the Sky. We had been sitting on top of the silo, looking out at the barren desert landscape. Optimus stood up, and I stood with him. My head barely brushed what looked like his ankle joint. I sat on his foot carefully, and he must’ve felt me there because he looked down at me with a big grin. He bent down and curled his fingers around my body, and then lifted me onto his shoulder. We descended in the large elevator and found Arcee waiting for us in the main communications room. Optimus placed me on the platform, gently running his finger down my cheek as he took his hand away. ‘I’ll be back in a few hours. Arcee, if you need me for anything you can get hold of me over the comm. link.’ He smiled at me, transformed and drove out of the base.

Arcee looked at me with a small smile on her face. I smiled back and walked down the stairs of the platform to get to the floor. She sat cross legged on the floor, and I went to sit next to her. Arcee was much smaller than Optimus, but still huge by human standards.

‘So, you’re staying with Optimus?’

‘Yes, he’s helped me a lot already.’

‘It’ll be good for him to have a break from military operations. I think he works too hard.’

‘Saving the world can be a difficult job.’ Arcee laughed at that and hugged her knees to her chest. Suddenly she sat up, the sharp movement making me jump.

‘Hey, d’you wanna go for a ride? I’ve got a helmet under my seat. You’ll be totally safe with me, I promise.’ I thought of Arcee’s vehicular mode, a motorbike. I smiled at the thought of riding with Arcee. I nodded and she transformed in front of me, her engine audible with excitement. I climbed on, and we zoomed out of the base.

The speed was exhilarating. We sped down the highway and even with the helmet on, my long black hair streamed out behind me. It was to be the start of my new life.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read! :) ♥

My first year of life with the Autobots passed without incident. A little over a week following my anniversary of meeting the Autobots, Jack, Miko & Rafael came into the equation. Jack had been admiring Arcee when two Decepticons had ambushed her. She had had no choice but to flee with Jack riding with her. Along the way she had to transform and fight, and Miko & Raf had sort of fallen in along the way. Optimus and I had bonded strongly over the last year, and I knew that I would do absolutely anything for him. The love we shared was strange because I had never felt anything like it in my life before. It was not romantic, because I did not feel for Optimus in that way. It was an intense feeling, a feeling that would make me do anything for my loved one. Like I said, it wasn’t like anything I had ever felt before. I remembered when Optimus had first come back from the Decepticons after his temporary amnesia, and my gratitude to all the Autobots, especially Jack and Arcee for helping to restore his memory.

***

I was sitting on Optimus’s shoulder whilst he analysed some data pads. We were waiting for the others to arrive with Jack, Miko & Rafael. I had a good relationship with all three of them. I was older than the three of them, but that didn’t matter when the four of us were together. We could goof around together and play video games just like any other group of friends. The only difference was that we each had a giant robot as a best friend and protector. The proximity sensor sounded, and Optimus switched to the screen that showed outside of the silo. I saw three incoming shapes and saw that they were Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee.  A few seconds later, I heard the faint rumble of engines from the approaching Autobots. 

The three of them rolled into the base and Miko unsurprisingly was the first to speak, or shout. 

‘Hey Sky and Boss bot! How has your day been?’ She shouted up to us in her usual Miko manner, a big smile plastered across her face.  Optimus smiled gently down at her and responded.

‘Our day has been most pleasant Miko, I see you have appeared to have a good day.’

‘The best! My parents are coming over for a few days from Tokyo! Booya!’  She jumped up and punched the air, illustrating her enthusiasm. 

‘Don’t worry Boss Bot! I won’t bring them to the base.’ She tapped Optimus playfully on the foot and ran up the catwalk stairs. Optimus gently removed me from his shoulder and held me in the palm of his hand.  Jack and Raf appeared, calm and collected when compared with Miko’s boisterous entrance.  They ascended the catwalk stairs and joined Miko on the faded brown sofa.  ‘Video game tournament!’ Miko bellowed, and Optimus deposited me gently next to the others.  I suddenly wasn’t in the mood to be surrounded by everybody, and as always, Optimus picked up on this immediately.  I decided to speak up. 

‘Guys, I just remembered Optimus and I have a few errands to run.  Catch you guys later?’  They all nodded and resumed their tournament.  I walked down the stairs and got into Optimus who had transformed and was ready and waiting.  As we rolled out of the base, Optimus started conversation.

‘Is there anything you want to talk about Sky?’  I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat, not sure how I should answer his question.  Without warning, he pulled over and my door clicked open.  I slid slowly out, turning to face him as he transformed behind me.  His hands enveloped me and lifted me to his face so we were at eye level with each other. 

‘What’s up Little One?’ His thumb gently moved over my cheek, moving my hair out of my face.  I sighed.

‘I don’t know Optimus, I just had a moment when I needed it to be just the two of us.’  All at once his optics relaxed and the tension left his shoulders.  He put me back down on the ground and transformed I got back in his cab and strapped in whilst he pulled out on to the road once more.  ‘Y’know Op, I’ve been thinking.  It’s Raf’s birthday soon and he will be thirteen.  That’s quite an important birthday.’

‘Forgive me for my ignorance, but why is becoming thirteen important?’  Optimus asked, out of curiosity, not because he was trying to belittle it. 

‘Thirteen is the first age in the teen years.  It is your official beginning as an adolescent.’ 

‘Ahh and Raf is understandably excited about turning thirteen.’

‘Exactly, so I was thinking, why don’t we throw him a surprise birthday party?’

‘You mean, plan a party without his knowledge?’

‘Yeah, I think he would like that.’

‘It is settled then.  I will debrief Bumblebee when we return to base.’

‘Okay.’  I settled back in my seat and watched the world roll by.  It gave me time to reflect.  In the beginning, Optimus and the other Autobots, had tried to keep me and the others a secret from the Decepticons, but this hadn’t lasted for long.  On a routine search for energon, we had bumped into Starscream and Optimus had immediately abandoned his search for the energon in order to protect me.  Starscream had put two and two together by watching Optimus’s reaction to his presence. 

‘Oh I see Prime, you have a pet?’ Starscream’s voice was as clear as if he was in Optimus’s cab with me.  I winced internally as I remembered the fight that had ensued. 

** FLASHBACK **

Optimus stood protectively in front of me at his full height, growling softly.  Starscream crouched to get a better view of me.  Optimus responded by presenting his gun.  I stared up at it in amazement.  I knew that Optimus was armed, but I had never seen his weapons before.  They did not appear to deter Starscream in any way. 

‘Optimus, I had no idea you were so protective of this planet’s..’ here he paused, seemingly searching for the right word.  ‘Vermin.’  His voice uttered the last word like velvet and my blood turned to ice in my veins.  Suddenly, Optimus charged at Starscream.  The impact of the pair of them landing on the ground produced a faint tremor that I felt in my feet.  I scrambled for cover behind a large rock, the sounds of metal crashing surrounding me.  All of a sudden, I was snatched into the air and clutched protectively against Optimus’s chest.  Then we were airborne, in an explosion from Starscream’s fire, knocking Optimus off of his feet.  He shielded me from the oncoming debris and landed on his back, making a huge hole in the earth.  Starscream was there, a hand reaching out for me.  Optimus kicked him square in the chest and sent him flying.  ‘Why am I bothering to scrap you anyway?  Once I tell Lord Megatron of your new vermin, he will be most satisfied with my reconnaissance work.  He will scrap the both of you!’  He jumped into the air and transformed, zooming off.

** END FLASHBACK **

I was pulled out of my day dreaming by Optimus saying my name.

‘Sky? Are you alright? Your cortisol levels have suddenly risen.’ 

‘I’m fine Optimus, I was just remembering your fight with Starscream.’  Optimus slowed slightly and my seat vibrated softly. 

‘I am always here for you Sky, no matter what.’ Optimus’s voice was a low, comforting baritone.  I smiled.  Our bond was complex, I didn’t quite understand it.  Optimus did, he seemed to understand everything.  I laughed quietly when I noticed Optimus had pulled up outside a Subway.  ‘I know when you’re hungry before you do!’  I laughed and slipped out of the cab.

‘I’ll just be a minute.’  I walked through the door and the worker had his back to me. 

‘Be with ya in a minute!’

‘That’s okay.’  I said, grabbing a coke from the fridge.  No sooner had I uttered the words, he spun around to face me.

‘SKY?!’


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

I dropped my coke in surprise as Charlie stared at me in disbelief. 

My coke hissed and then slowly fizzed out as I stared at Charlie in shock.  Like Agent Fowler, he had a really bad poker face.  He reminded me a little of a fish, is mouth slowly opening and closing as he stared at me.  I took a tentative step forward, and Charlie closed the gap between us.  His mop fell to the floor and his arms brought me to him, crushing me in his embrace.    
  
'Sky! How..where..?'  He was unable to construct a coherent sentence, tripping over the words as soon as he formed them.  I found myself smiling and hugging him back just as tightly.  It was strange to be in such close proximity to a human again.  Although I spent regular amounts of time with Agent Fowler and the kids, we never hugged like this.  I suddenly felt too large despite the fact that my head only came up to Charlie's chest.  'Where have you been?  I..I thought you were dead Sky!' He abruptly pulled away and reached for something behind the counter, thrusting it into my hands.  I looked through it, flicking through the pages slowly.  My own face gazed back at me, the grainy black and white image typical of newspapers.  I looked up at Charlie in shock, slowly placing the booklet back on the counter.  Charlie's face resumed a calm, neutral expression, his eyes looking me over warily.  'Where have you been? Sky, you've been missing for a whole year.'  I blinked stupidly at him.    
  
'Charlie, why are you telling me how long I have been missing for? I know how long I have been gone for.'  Charlie surprised me by slamming his fist down on the counter.   
  
'Godamnit Sky! You're supposed to be dead! Your dad's in prison for murdering you!'  This revelation stopped my breath, and suddenly my vision went fuzzy and I gripped on to the back of a nearby chair for support.  My response to his statement was surprisingly calm.   
  
'Well clearly Charlie, I'm not dead.  I'm right here.'  Charlie turned his back on me, rubbing away the light beads of sweat that had formed upon his brow.  He started muttering to himself.  
  
'Getta grip Charlie boy.  It's the pills.  She doesn't even look like Sky!'  At this point he turned around to face me again.  'You don't even look like Sky! Get OUT!' He threw the mop weakly at me, and I deflected it with a brisk wave of my arm.    
  
'Charlie, I-.'  I barely had time to form a whole sentence before he screamed again in my face.   
  
'GET OUT!'  I barely had time to turn and exit the shop before the door was slammed open with such force that it fell off of its hinges.  I looked to see Optimus's holoform, all 7 foot of it, exploding in through the door.  I automatically went to him, and put my hands on his chest in an effort to stop him.  He stopped directly in front of me, looking at me gently.  I felt the light tickle of a scan.   
  
'Optimus, I'm fine.  I promise.'  I smiled to show I meant it.  He visibly relaxed and then gently pulled me so that I was standing behind him.  Drawing himself up to his full height, he stood protectively in front of me.  Charlie's mouth opened and shut in several failed attempts to form words.  Optimus was perfectly calm.    
  
'Now.  I understand that you are upset Charlie, but that is no excuse to treat Sky in this volatile manner.  If you would like to accompany us back to our residence, both Sky and myself will be more than happy to tell you the full story.'  Charlie took a step forward to me, but Optimus moved back a step, not letting Charlie near me, keeping the distance between us perfectly even.    
  
'I'm not going to your 'residence.'  You think you can brainwash me like you brainwashed her?.'  Optimus was about to respond before I ducked under his arm and twisted my body around his.    
  
'Charlie.  It's me.  My favourite colour is blue.  Your wife was due to have your baby on the 19th of March.  Your middle name is Simon.  You hate peanut butter.  Your favourite food is calamari.  How much more do you need to be convinced? It's me.'  At my words, Charlie's face softened and his eyes lost some of their defensiveness.  I noticed that Optimus's holoform had started to flicker, and I grabbed his hand.  'Op, we need to go.'  He looked down at me with quick understanding, and gently pulled me through the door.  He didn't bother going through the facade of getting into his cab, he just disappeared right there.  Understandably, Charlie was a little shocked.  The driver door swung open and I climbed in.  'Please come Charlie, we don't have to go far.'  He just nodded and climbed in through the passenger door.    
  
'Where did that beast of a man disappear to?' Charlie's voice was shaky and he struggled to keep a constant tone.    
  
'I am here Charlie.  The man you saw was a holoform, an illusion I use to make me disguise more believable.  You will see my true form when we reach our destination.'  Charlie just nodded and looked out of the window, refusing to meet my gaze.  His hand rested tensely in his lap and I reached over to grab one.  As soon as he felt my touch, he snatched his hand away and put them in his pockets.    
  
'Charlie...please.  I want to explain.'    
  
'Sky, I'm sorry but I will let you explain and then I'm gone.  It's some weird stuff that's going on right now and I have my family to think about.  I don't think I can have you in my life anymore.'  I didn't respond, but turned away from him to look out of the driver window.  I felt the tears stinging the back of my eyes, and my seat vibrated softly, Optimus's way of comforting me when he was in vehicle mode.  I squeezed the seat gently in response and then we journeyed on in absolute silence.  After five minutes, I realised we weren't heading back to base, but to where Optimus had first revealed himself to me on that fateful night.  Optimus pulled up to the secluded cliff area and turned his engine off.  My door clicked open and I slid out, Charlie doing the same on the other side.  No matter how many times I saw the Autobots transform, I would never get used to the phenomenal sight that it was.  Optimus came down to our level, his fingers curling loosely around me.  Optimus looked encouragingly at me, and I started to talk.    
  
'Charlie.  This is Optimus Prime.  He is the leader of a group of sentient, autonomous robotic organisms from a planet called Cybertron.  That's all I'm allowed to tell you.  For the last eighteen months I've been living with Optimus as his charge.'  I gave Charlie a few minutes to digest all of this.  When he did speak, his voice was pleasantly calm and steady.    
  
'Sky.  I'm sorry for the way I behaved earlier, I had accepted the fact that you were dead and that I would never see you again.  Then you turn up expecting everything to be okay and not only that, you turn up with a giant freaking robot!'  Here he looked at Optimus nervously before swallowing loudly.  'I can't have you in my life if...if he's in it.  I got my wife and daughter to think about now.'  He didn't give me time to register his words before turning his back, walking out of my life for good.  Optimus growled softly after him, but made no effort to stop him.  I automatically held onto his finger for support, and he rubbed my back softly.   
  
'Come on little one.'  He placed me on the ground and transformed.  I got in and we began the journey back to base. 


	10. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

Since returning to base, my appetite had mysteriously vanished.  I wasn’t really surprised, it tended to do that whenever I was stressed or upset.  I could tell that Optimus was worried from the way he kept looking at me and not letting me out of his sight, but I couldn’t convince him I was okay with whatever I said.  He was helping Ratchet service the GroundBridge when Arcee and Jack returned through the small road that was opened by the secret entrance in the cliff.  Jack dismounted and Arcee transformed behind him.  I smiled at her, but I could feel that it didn’t reach my eyes.  She smiled kindly back and then looked at Optimus questioningly.  Jack yawned and stretched, displaying newly developed pecks underneath his t-shirt.  I looked away, feeling a bit awkward. 

‘Hey Sky, how are you?’ Jack regarded me with a warm look from his baby blue eyes and I inadvertently took a step towards him.  I shrugged in answer to his question.  Out of the three, I was closest to Jack.  Probably because he was only two years younger than me and I ironically saw him as an older brother despite him being younger than me.  He seemed to notice my blue mood and said softly; ‘do wanna go someplace private?’  I nodded gratefully and he started to lead the way.  I looked back at Optimus, giving him a small smile.  He smiled back, and nodded to me.  I knew he wouldn’t come unless I asked him to, unless he thought my safety was at risk.  Arcee went over to Optimus and Ratchet, but Jack and I didn’t stay long enough to hear the start of their conversation.  Jack led the way through the maze of abnormally wide and tall corridors to Arcee’s private quarters.  I had only been in her quarters once to let her know that Jack needed picking up from school after some trouble from the school bully, Vince.  Looking around again, Arcee’s ‘furniture’ amused me with the difference in scale.  Her berth was about six foot off of the ground, and I could scramble up if I really wanted to.  There was no way I could do that with Optimus’s berth, the only way I could get onto it was if he put me on it himself.  Jack lowered himself on the floor and I followed.  He sat waiting, but not pushing me to talk.  I was silent for a few moments before I started to speak. 

‘I saw someone from the past today.  He used to be my boss in the diner I worked in, before I met Optimus.  He was probably the only person I cared for in my life because he showed me kindness and compassion.  I just bumped into him today by chance, and he was just..so angry.  I understand that it’s a lot to accept, but I’ve never seen that side of Charlie before.  Optimus had to intervene.  I thought he would at least come back here..but after I explained all that had happened, he just turned and walked away Jack.’  I wiped furiously at a tear that had escaped, and before I knew it, Jack’s arms were around me.  I didn’t resist, but just sobbed into him, letting all the frustration seep out of me.  How long we sat there I don’t know, but he let me ruin his shirt.  He gently adjusted me so I was sitting up, and looked me in the eye. 

‘I’ve never seen you hurt like this Sky, but if he hurt you this much, then it tells me that you don’t need someone like that in your life.  I know it seems hard now, but time will make it easier.  I promise.  When my dad first left, I was so angry and I shut myself off to everyone around me.  I shut my mother out, and just took all my blame out on the world.  Now I realise that we are better off without my dad, and I am in fact happy with the way that things worked out.  If my dad hadn’t have left us, I wouldn’t have needed to get a job to help mum and then I never would have met Arcee.  I know it hurts now Sky, but I promise it will get easier with time.  It’s just a case of learning how to deal with it and having the right people around you.  You’re stronger than you think Sky.’  I sniffed and smiled at Jack gratefully as he helped me to my feet.  ‘I think you need Optimus right now.’  He gently led me back to the main communications room and back to Optimus.  Jack walked over to Arcee and she smiled down at him.  Optimus walked over to me and came down to my level, gazing at me with obvious concern present in his optics. 

‘Thank you for looking after her Jack.’  Optimus said over my head before gently curling his large fingers around me and lifting me off of the ground.  I sat quietly in his palm as he walked to our private quarters.  He put me down on my bed, which was on top of a huge, Optimus sized metal storage container, which also doubled as Optimus’s bed side table.  He sat down on his berth, and like that we were pretty much at eye to optic level with each other.  I rubbed my eyes, they were puffy and sore from crying onto Jack.  My hysteria over Charlie had passed and I now felt a lot calmer.  Optimus’s steady demeanour also helped to keep my mood calm and constant.  We sat in silence for a few moments before Optimus broke it. 

‘Sky.  In these past eighteen months, I have watched you grow and mature into a beautiful young woman.  You have the purest soul that it has ever been my pleasure to know.  This is the first time I have seen you hurt this badly and in pains my Spark to see you hurt like this.  I am here for you little one, and I will be whatever you need me to be.’

At this small speech, I felt my eyes well up with tears again.  I said nothing but got off of my bed and held my arms out to him.  He smiled and reached for me, holding me tenderly against his chest and I relished in the tender contact.  Optimus held me so that I was level with his face and I leant lightly against his helm.  He nuzzled me softly and before I knew it, he planted a cool metal kiss on my forehead.  I drew back in surprise, my hand automatically going to my forehead.  Optimus looked at me in alarm, fearing he had done the wrong thing.  ‘Sky, I’m sorry.  I thought-‘.  I stopped him mid-sentence, standing in his palm and placing both hands over his mouth.  He looked down at me in surprise, raising one eyebrow in that inquisitive manner he possessed in such abundance. 

‘Optimus.  Please don’t be sorry, I just wasn’t expecting it.  It was nice.’  I took my hands away from his mouth and settled back down cross legged in his palm.  His concern melted away immediately and he smiled gently at me.  ‘I’m sorry Optimus, you shouldn’t have had to have seen that.’  I looked down at my hands as I said this and felt his finger gently move my chin and tilt my face upwards so I was looking him directly in the optic. 

‘Sky.  Never ever be sorry for displaying your true feelings in front of me.  I made a promise to you that I would protect you physically and emotionally.  I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and happy.’  He shifted so that he was laying down, placing me on his chest with his left hand curled protectively around me.  It was like this, in my favourite place with my favourite person in the universe, that I fell asleep. 

***

** Optimus’s POV  **

Sky’s not been asleep for much longer than half an hour before I am alerted to the sound of the door buzzer going off.  So as not to disturb Sky, I answer it through the comm. Link. 

‘Prime.  It’s Agent Fowler, I need to talk to you about Sky’s father and Charlie.  Jack filled me in on what happened earlier.’  I let Agent Fowler in and move up into a sitting position as he enters.  I gently manoeuvre Sky into my left hand and she only stirs ever so slightly.  I put her in her bed and pull the covers over her, ensuring she is warm and comfortable before turning my attention to Agent Fowler.  I stand and walk over to my desk where Agent Fowler is waiting for me.  I kneel down and off him my palm which he reluctantly accepts. 

‘My apologies Agent Fowler, it is the only way that we can converse comfortably.’  I place my hand upon the desk and Agent Fowler steps off briskly.  He settles awkwardly into Sky’s worn armchair, placing his hands on his lap.  He seems to not want to look me directly in the optic, for his eyes are darting in all different directions, not staying on one fixed point for long.  His gaze finally settles on the sleeping form of Sky and there is a brief silence before he speaks. 

‘Prime. I have been to speak to Charlie and he has agreed to keep quiet about this afternoon’s events.  I have his cooperation in writing and he will face a hefty fine if he deviates from it.  There’s really no need to ever hear from him again.  However, there is one more thing I need to talk to you about.’

This last statement earns him my full attention and I break my gaze away from Sky and look down at Agent Fowler.  I nod and he continues.  ‘Sky’s father is in prison.  He is in prison under suspicion of murdering Sky.  Prime, you and I both know that Sky’s father is an unpredictable and violent man, but he cannot be imprisoned for something that he did not do.’ 

An unexpected well of anger surges within me, making my Spark pulse briefly but I quickly quell it and bring myself under control. 

‘Indeed Agent Fowler.  But he cannot just go unpunished for all of the abuse that Sky suffered at his hands.’  Agent Fowler nods and rubs the back of his neck, a trait I have noticed most humans do when they are stressed.  I lightly scan him and his cortisol levels are indeed rising rapidly, as is his heart rate.  ‘Agent Fowler.  Please tell me what is troubling you.’  He scrunches his face up for a nano-click and then composes himself.

‘Yes Prime.  Clarence cannot just go unpunished…which is why the higher ups and myself have agreed that there is to be a trial.  It will be held in our own private military court, considering the uhh..unique situation we have.  The only thing is..Sky will have to testify against her father if he is to be charged.’ 

I sigh inwardly and cycle air through my vents. 

‘Very well.  But she will not do it alone.  I will be with her throughout the whole process.’  Agent Fowler starts to protest, but I put a hand up to stop him.  ‘I will not have her go through such a traumatic experience alone Agent Fowler.  I understand the logistical problems that accompany this, but I have a simple solution.’  At this statement, I rise and focus all my energy on the holoform.  A brief peculiar sensation washes over me and I am stood next to Agent Fowler upon my desk.  Although Agent Fowler has seen my holoform before, he is still not used to the sight.  Agent Fowler is tall by human standards, but I am taller than him, standing at 7 feet and 4 inches in human metric measurements. 

‘Sweet lady Liberty Prime! You’re huge!’  I merely nod at him and then deactivate my holoform. 

‘I will practice using my holoform and by the time we have to go to court, I will be able to maintain it.  However, I will have my true form parked outside, if there is an attack I need to be able to protect her.’  Agent Fowler nods and stands.

‘I need to go now Prime, I’m running on fumes alone now.’  I nod an offer Agent Fowler my hand once more and lower him to the ground.  Once he is gone, I go back over to Sky and watch her twitch gently in her sleep. 

** Sky’s POV (a dream)  **

I was slightly confused as to where I was.  All I knew is that it was really cold, and Optimus was nowhere to be seen.  I had called and called for him, but the only replies I received where the echoes of my own voice.   Suddenly, another voice spoke, a regal deep voice that I did not recognise. 

‘At last.  I have been waiting for you for a long time.’


	11. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

The voice that spoke to me resonated all around me and reverberated deep within my chest. 

‘Where is Optimus?’  My voice was shaky with nerves and I tried unsuccessfully to steady it. 

‘Fear not little one, I will not harm you, but I have much to tell you.’  I relaxed a little at his words and looked around at the speaker.  I found him and I could immediately tell that he was Cybertronian.  He was primarily light blue in colour, with silver streaks on his chest and arms.  His face was also silver and his eyebrow crests were the same light blue that covered the rest of his body.  He looked regal, and I had this deep instinctive feeling that he was insanely important.  ‘Sky.  Ask not how I know your name, nor ask mine.  You will know all that you need to know when you need to know it.   I have been watching you for a long time, both you and Optimus.’  I was immediately defensive at the mention of Optimus’s name.

‘What do you want with Optimus?’  The great mech surprised me by chuckling gently. 

‘Easy young one.  I mean neither of you any harm.  I need to warn you of what is coming.’  Suddenly, everything around me went black and I felt very weightless.  Beneath me I saw Optimus laying on his back, his chest sparking and cracked.  His optics were flickering.  I ran to him in blind panic, and as I reached him, he uttered one broken word to me before his optics went black.

‘Run.’

***

I woke up drenched in sweat and found that Optimus’s fingers were holding me firmly but gently.  My breathing came fast and hard and I fought to get it under control.  The strong fingers held me tenderly and I realised I was on Optimus’s shoulder.  Soothing circles were being rubbed onto my back and they helped me to focus.  Tears streamed down my face, and I finally got my breathing under control.  Optimus held me gently, his strong fingers loosening their grip around me.  I wordlessly held my arms out to him and he responded in kind.  I hugged myself to him, his giant hand all around me.  Next I motioned to his face and he understood.  First I ran my hands over his mouth, face, cheek plates and finally, his optics.  I tried to speak and was surprised to find that my voice was sore and croaky.  Optimus spoke soothingly to me, his voice a low and comforting baritone.  I was vaguely aware of something cold travelling up my arm before all the sounds around me went slow and deep, and then, just complete and utter darkness. 

** Optimus POV  **

Ratchet had to give her a mild sedation drug.  She was thrashing around too much and her eyes were full of fear.  She’s laying quietly in my palm, her chest rising and falling with the steady motion of her breathing.  I place her gently in her bed and look at Ratchet questioningly.  Concern is written all over his face, his eyebrows coming down to form a worried frown.

‘Optimus, has she ever experienced anything like this before?’  I shake my head, allowing that to speak for me rather than trust words.  My processor was going into overdrive, predominantly with worry about Sky.  I had not needed to recharge and had been analysing some data pads when it started.  She’d woken up screaming and I’d rushed straight over to her.  Her tiny body was shaking violently and although her eyes were wide open and full of fear, she still seemed to be asleep.  The sedative Ratchet has given her will not last for long and soon she begins to stir. 

** Sky POV  **

I woke to the view of Optimus’s face, gazing at me worriedly.  I felt groggy and tired and I had the mother of all headaches.  I reached out for Optimus and he gently held my hand between a finger and thumb. 

‘You scared me little one, are you alright?’  I nodded, unsure of what I wanted to say.  I sat up in bed, my head throbbing painfully as I pushed myself up.  I reached into my drawer for some pain killers and dry swallowed them.  My voice finally felt able to speak and I croaked an apology to Optimus. 

‘I’m sorry Optimus, it was a nightmare and it was so real.  You…I couldn’t…’ though I tried to stop them, the tears came anyway.  Optimus’s huge hands surrounded me and he pulled me gently out of bed and nuzzled me gently with his helm. 

‘Shh, it’s alright.  I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, that I promise you.’  He always seemed to know what to say and his words helped me to gain control of myself.  I wiped my eyes and smiled weakly at Optimus.  I sat back against his fingers and wrapped my arm around his thumb.  I was able to speak without my voice wobbling, but it was still croaky.

‘I’m sorry Optimus, truly I am.’  Optimus’s finger moved and tilted my face up so I was looking him directly in the optic. 

‘Sky, please do not be sorry.  You clearly had a nightmare and I’m here for you if you want to talk about it.’  I just nodded and hugged his thumb.  My stomach emitted a thunderous growl and Optimus chuckled quietly. 

‘It appears that you need to refuel little one.’  I nodded and pulled on a pair of jeans and a hoodie before settling back into Optimus’s palm.  He left our quarters and walked to the main communications room, where June, Jack, Miko and Raf were sitting on the faded sofa.  In front of them lay an impressive assortment of pizzas, and the smell was delicious.  Optimus placed his hand on the catwalk and I stepped off, smiling at the others.  June smiled warmly at me and handed me a slice of pizza, plain cheese and tomato with onion and sweetcorn, my favourite.  Miko had commandeered the meat feast pizza and was eating like she had never seen food before.  I smiled to myself, wondering how she could eat so much and stay so skinny.  Jack was talking with June in a corner, so I went and sat next to Raf.  I liked the small boy, young but incredibly wise at the same time.  He had an array of DVDs laid out in front of him; _King Kong, Avatar_ and the first Pirates of the Caribbean.  As I sat next to him, he smiled wryly at me and motioned to the DVDs.

‘Wanna help me choose? We’re gonna have a movie night and Bee narrowed it down to these three.’  I smiled and picked my favourite out of the three. 

‘Sorry Raf, I’m always gonna pick this one.’  I said, handing him my choice.  He looked pleased with it. 

‘Hey guys! We’re ready! We’re gonna watch King Kong!’  We were joined by all of the Autobots, and to my surprise, Agent Fowler.  Miko climbed onto Bulkhead’s shoulder and nestled in comfortably, and he looked at her tenderly from the side of his optics, making sure that she was comfortable.  Bulkhead was a softy at Spark really.  Arcee came and leant against the railing of the catwalk, her slender form allowing her to do so.  If any of the others were to do that, the railing would most likely give way under their weight, and Agent Fowler would NOT be happy about that.  Ratchet was grumbling as usual, but stayed to watch the movie with us.  I was settled on the couch when something flickered next to me and made me jump.  I saw Optimus’s holoform next to me, smiling gently. 

‘I need to practice keeping my holoform running for at least an hour, and as this film is 187 minutes long, I think that is a good practice run, don’t you?’  I nodded and leaned against his chest, surprised at the human feel to it.  The movie started, and silence fell over all of us.  Optimus moved quite a lot, trying to get used to the holoform.  As we got to the scene where Anne was abducted by the natives of the island, I noticed Optimus getting tenser and tenser.  His arms curled protectively around me, holding me tightly.  The other Autobots had also activated their holoforms and were all immensely interested in the movie.  Optimus relaxed as the movie went on, showing surprising fondness towards Kong.  In the scene where Anne tries to run away from Kong but ends up getting chased by the dinosaurs, Optimus curled his arms even more protectively around me.  At this point, his holoform was starting to flicker, but he kept it going.  When Kong rescued Anne from the dinosaurs, Optimus’s holoform began to flicker furiously.  He was breathing hard, which confused me because I knew that the Autobots did not need to breath, in their holoforms or otherwise.  I turned around in his arms to look at him, and he was frowning.  I grabbed his hands, and even in his human holoform, they dwarfed mine.  His hands tightened around mine and he visibly and audibly relaxed.  His eyes locked with mine, brown locked in with that beautiful cerulean blue.  I settled back into him, leaning against his soft chest, enjoying the warmth he brought.  Not a single word was spoken as the film progressed on, apart from Miko and I trying desperately hard no to cry when Kong was finally captured and taken to New York.  I watched Optimus carefully throughout these scenes, and his face showed his disgust.  His grip tightened once more around me, and he growled so silently I couldn’t be sure if he’d even made a sound.  When we got to the scene where Kong escapes from the stage and starts looking for Anne in New York, a broad smile broke onto Optimus’s face.  And it was then that I understood why he was reacting so strongly to the movie.  He saw Anne as _me._ As Kong slid around the frozen pond with Anne in his hand, I saw replicated the relationship that Optimus and I had.  As the realisation welled within me, my vision went black and spotty for a few seconds before going back to normal.  I didn’t want him to see the end, knowing that he would be upset by it, but I didn’t have the heart to turn it off.  I rubbed my eyes, as if doing that would get rid of the black spots currently across my vision.  By the time Kong and Anne were at the top of the Empire State Building, Optimus’s grip around me was once more tight and protective.  When Kong gently placed Anne out of harm’s way at the top of the Empire State, Optimus sucked in a tight breath and I grabbed his hands once more.  When the end moment finally came, the tears spilled over as they always did when I watched King Kong.  I turned to look at Optimus, and the only look on his face was complete and utter shock.  He finally snapped out of his trance and looked down at me.  His holoform flickered and then I heard the heavy footsteps of his real body coming toward me.  He held his hand out wordlessly and I stepped on and then he surprised me by curling all of his fingers around me protectively instead of leaving his hand open like he usually did.  He did not say anything, but walked out of the main communications room and back to our quarters.  He laid down on his berth, placing me on his chest, leaving his fingers curled around me.  I was worried about this reaction, so I moved up his chest to be closer to his face. 

‘Optimus? Are you okay?’  Optimus smiled down at me and stroked my face with a finger. 

‘My apologies Sky..whilst watching that movie, I experienced something similar to what you experienced last night.   Anne..she reminded me of you, and to think of you in danger or the possibility of your life ending…the very thought of it is abhorrent to me.  You are the most important thing in my life, and I would do anything to protect you.  I am sorry for worrying you little one.’  I said nothing but snuggled into his palm in response and his hand cupped around me, giving me one of his ‘hand’ hugs. 

‘As long as I am with you Optimus, I know I will be safe.  On the bright side, you managed to keep your holoform going for the whole of the movie!’  Optimus merely chuckled and nodded. 

‘Yes little one, that is true.’ 

***

The weeks progressed on, and the date of my father’s trial grew ever closer.  Optimus was able to keep his holoform up for six hours at a time now, and he looked perfectly realistic.  He could touch and be touched.  The only thing he could not do was eat or drink, but that did not present many challenges.  One summer morning, I was helping Optimus calibrate his new tracking system.  It was quite entertaining, I was finding different places around the base to hide, and Optimus had to find me using his new and improved tracking system.  The proximity sensor sounded, alerting us to somebody landing on top of the silo.  Optimus retrieved me from my hiding place, a wry grin on his face and placed me on his shoulder.  Agent Fowler emerged from the elevator and the look on his face told me that his reason for visiting was not a pleasant one. 

‘Sky, Prime.  There is no time for the formalities, the trial has been brought forward to today.’


	12. The Court Case Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this! :) ♥

** The Court Case Part One **

‘What?’  I stood up abruptly on Optimus’s shoulder and this caused me to lose my balance.  Optimus noticed this and removed me from his shoulder, placing me on the catwalk next to Agent Fowler.  ‘What do you mean the trial has been brought forward to today?  It’s not meant to be for another three weeks!’  Agent Fowler’s face was apologetic and he placed two hands upon my shoulders.

‘I’m sorry Sky, I truly am, but Prime and I will be with you through the whole process.  We have an hour.’  I didn’t say anything but nodded so that Agent Fowler knew I understood.  I stepped onto Optimus’s hand once more and he proceeded to our quarters.  He place me on the catwalk that contained the kitchen and bathroom.  He bent a little so that we were roughly at eye level, gazing at me with concern present in his optics.

‘Are you alright Little One? I am worried for you.’  I sighed and lifted myself onto the kitchen counter, letting my legs swing. 

‘I don’t know Optimus..I had kind of put the trial to the back of my mind safe in the knowledge that I had three weeks to prepare myself to see my father again..now I’m told I’m seeing him in an hour!’  I threw my hands up in the air in frustration, suddenly feeling very full of energy.  Optimus gently stroked my face with his index finger before moving away to the other side of the room where his berth was.  He opened my wardrobe with some difficulty and his finger emerged with my simple black dress.  Next my tights and shoes emerged, followed by my plain black cardigan.  He folded them in his fingers before returning to me.  Despite myself, I couldn’t help letting a small smile slide onto my face.  Here was Optimus Prime, leader of a sentient group of robotic organisms, fearless warrior, deadly in battle, my best friend and protector, folding up clothes and doing a damn good job of it.  As he approached, I hopped off of the worktop and made my way over to him.  He held out my clothes on the end of his index finger and as I went to take them, a sudden surge of blue light jumped between my hand and Optimus’s finger.  It felt like a massive electric shock, the kind that makes you feel a little sick a few seconds after it has occurred.  I drew back abruptly, instinctively holding my hand.  I barely had time to think as I was whisked up into the air, very close to Optimus’s face.  I felt the light tickle of a scan and then Optimus was looking in my eyes, his finger gently feeling my forehead.  I was a little shaky in his palm, so I lowered myself into a kneeling position, placing my hands on my thighs. 

‘What happened there then?’  I could hear the worry in Optimus’s voice, and for once I didn’t think he was being over protective (he usually scanned me and panicked when I tripped, which was quite a common occurrence).  ‘Sky, are you alright?’ I nodded, slightly breathless.  Knowing that Optimus would want to tell Ratchet, I spoke.

‘I’m fine Optimus..maybe it was just a massive electric shock.’  I said doubtfully, looking down at my left hand where the blue light had seemingly come from.   Eighteen months ago I would not have believed this sort of thing but since experiencing life with Optimus and the Autobots, I was ready to believe about anything.  ‘Can we wait until after the trial to tell Ratchet?  I just want to get today over and done with.’  Optimus nodded and scanned me once more.  He put me back down on the catwalk and I went straight into the bathroom and quickly changed into my court clothes, my hand still tingling from the weird energy burst.  I quickly put a little bit of eyeliner and mascara on in an effort not to look so drained.  I twisted my hair and secured it in place with a section clip.  I exited the bathroom and gasped at the sight before me.  Optimus was in his holoform with his back to me.  He wasn’t in his usual clothes he wore when in his holoform which were faded blue denim jeans and a red checked lumberjack style shirt.  Instead he was wearing a black suit.  He was concentrating immensely on something, focusing all his attention on it.  Finding the sight mildly amusing, I smiled to myself as I walked towards him to see what he was struggling with.  I was surprised to find that it was a tie and it was in a very un tie-like knot.  I couldn’t help but let a small giggle escape at the sight.  Optimus’s blue eyes looked down at me earnestly, silently asking me for help.  I walked over to him and held out my hands as an offer.  He sighed and unknotted the tie easily and handed it to me.  I smoothed it out in my hands, making sure it was entirely straight and free of creases before I put it on him.  I went to put it around his neck and then realised I could not reach without standing on my tip toes and thus losing my balance.  Optimus chuckled gently at me and pulled me gently towards the kitchen counter.  When I was standing normally with no shoes on, the top of my head hit the midpoint between Optimus’s elbow and shoulder. 

‘Optimus, when this is done, remind me to ask you to sit me down and tell me why your holoform is so flipping huge!’  Optimus chuckled again and responded in kind. 

‘I cannot help your height...or lack of it.’  He said with a mischievous glint in his eye.  ‘My holoform is my Cybertronian self scaled down into human scale, in other words, my human equivalent.  It does feel odd though.’  I raised an eyebrow at him in question as he bent down to pick me up.  ‘It feels odd to be this small, I’m not used to it.  Though, I can now have an idea of what it is like for you when I am in my true form.’  He gestured with his head toward his true body, which lay motionless on his berth.  As he said this, he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me onto the kitchen counter.  At this height, I still wasn’t at eye level with him, but I could do the tie up.  I lifted his shirt collar up to accommodate the tie (something he hadn’t done) and started doing the knot. 

‘Do you want a loose knot or a tight one?’  I asked, not knowing if he would feel the difference between the two anyway. 

‘Does it matter?’  I shook my head and did him a fairly tight knot, making sure I could get two fingers in between his neck and collar.  I hopped off of the counter and made sure his tie was straight.  ‘How tall are you anyway in your holoform?’

‘In this form I am 223 centimetres tall, which I believe is slightly above average for a Caucasian male human.’  I snorted in a rather un-ladylike fashion in an effort to suppress my laughter. 

‘Slightly?  Oh dear you do make me laugh sometimes.’  He poked me playfully in the ribs and then stepped back a few paces. 

‘Is my apparel suitable for a court of law?  I wish to make a good impression.’  I laughed again but nodded. 

‘It’s not you who is on trial Optimus, but yes, you look perfectly acceptable.  What about my outfit?  Not too casual?’  Optimus shook his head, a gentle smile coming on to his face. 

‘You look beautiful Little One.’  I felt the blush coming as it always did when Optimus praised me and I automatically looked at my feet.  Optimus abruptly enveloped me in a hug, resting his chin on the top of my head.  ‘I am so proud of you Sky.  I want you to know that, and I will always be here for you, for any problem you have.’  I was determined not to let the tears fall, and for once they did as they were bid and did not fall.  Optimus drew back and stroked my face with one finger.  ‘It’s lovely to be so close to you like this, and I’ve never really realised or appreciated how soft and tiny you actually are.’  I laughed and swatted at him playfully. 

‘Enough with the tiny already!’  I laughed and stepped back so I could see his face properly.  His holoform then disappeared and his true body stirred and he walked towards me.  Holding out his hand, I climbed on and he walked back to the main communications room.  He set me down on the ground and then transformed into his vehicle mode and Agent Fowler and I got in and departed for the military court room. 


	13. The Court Case Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

** The Court Case Part Two  **

Optimus parked in a space that had been specifically reserved, it even had his name on a cardboard sign.  Agent Fowler hopped out of the cab and turned to face me, holding his hand out to me.  As I unbuckled my seatbelt, Optimus’s holoform materialised next to Agent Fowler. 

‘Thank you Agent Fowler, but I’ve got this.’  Agent Fowler stepped back and went to wait at the entrance of the court building.  Getting out of the cab was a little difficult because of the dress I was wearing so Optimus put his hands under my arms and lifted me easily out of the cab.  As we walked towards the entrance, he kept one protective arm around my shoulders as he guided me through the door.  Inside was surprisingly plain, beige walls and carpet accompanied by brown faux leather chairs.  The reception desk was to our left and directly opposite that were the toilets.  Optimus had to duck as we came through the doorway, and his huge height earned him a few surreptitious glances from the staff behind the reception desk.  Agent Fowler went to tell my lawyer that we were here whilst Optimus and I sat down on the chairs.  Optimus didn’t quite fit in his and grunted uncomfortably as he tried to squeeze himself into the clearly too small chair.  One of the receptionists noticed this and hastily wheeled her own computer chair towards him. 

‘Sir, please sit in this whilst you wait, you don’t need to be uncomfortable.’ 

‘Thank you ma’am, that is very kind of you.’  Optimus lowered himself tentatively into the chair and the relief was evident on his face when he fitted comfortably into the seat.  My stomach did somersaults as we waited for ten long minutes for Agent Fowler to come back.  As always, Optimus was in tune with my feelings and he sensed my nerves.  He reached over and took my hand, rubbing soothing circles on the back with his thumb.  I smiled at him appreciatively and blew air out through my mouth, making the few strands of my hair that had fallen down blow in the light breeze that it made.  I snapped my head up at the sound of a door opening and saw Agent Fowler emerge with my lawyer, a stern looking but kind woman named Lucy Robson.  I stood and followed Agent Fowler into a small room, Optimus close behind me.  Agent Fowler closed the door and looked down at me. 

‘Are you alright Sky?  Are you ready to do this?’  I nodded and took a deep breath in an attempt to steady my nerves.  Lucy approached me with a kind look in her eyes. 

 

‘Sky, the prosecution will probably get tough on you, they’ll ask you tough questions and try to break you apart.  Mr Prime, as Sky’s legal guardian, are you happy with these arrangements and for Sky to testify against her father?’  Optimus nodded and then Lucy continued to speak.  ‘I should make you aware that everyone in the room; that includes the judge, other lawyers and the jury will know the true identity of Optimus Prime.  The only individual who will not know the true identity of Mr Prime is the defendant, Mr Reynolds.’  Lucy picked up her files from the table and proceeded to go through a door directly opposite to the one we had come through.  Light beads of sweat formed on my forehead and I didn’t need one of Optimus’s super advanced scans to tell me that my heart rate was through the roof.  Optimus put his arm around my waist as we followed Lucy into the courtroom.  The first thing that struck me about the courtroom was that it was not a traditional courtroom like you see in crime dramas or imagine in books.  It was a plain and boring room with basic furniture and a glass box situated at the head of the room, which is where I guessed the defendant would spend the duration of the hearing.  Lucy led us to a table able to seat four people and I found myself sandwiched between Optimus and Lucy.  Optimus kept hold of my hand as the jury and prosecution came in.   There were two people on the prosecution, my father’s lawyer and someone else whose purpose I couldn’t work out.  They were both male and middle-aged.  Another door behind me opened and I looked around to see who was coming through it.  A prison officer was leading him out by some handcuffs.  My father’s eyes found mine and widened.  Though it had only been eighteen months since I had last seen him, it felt like years.  He certainly looked older, the lines on his face were haggard and deep.  He looked tired, like he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for a long time.  What struck me most about him was not his aged face or thinning hair, but the weight loss and haunted look in his eyes.  I looked into them, and my own brown eyes looked back at me, accusing and confused.  His beer belly was gone, and the suit that he was wearing just hung from him limply.  It was strange to see him sober, I’d almost forgotten what it was like.  His gaze flickered from me to Optimus, narrowing in Optimus’s direction.  Optimus growled, a low, soft but at the same time guttural sound.  Dad took an involuntary step back, pulling the prison officer with him.  Agent Fowler shot Optimus a warning look and Optimus leant back into his chair, still holding my hand.  The prison officer led dad to the glass box and released him from the hand-cuffs.  Dad sat and fixed his gaze on me.  I suddenly felt very queasy.  A loud voice interrupted the silence and then everyone was on their feet.  I also stood, clutching at Optimus’s hand tightly. 

The judge walked in then, wearing long black robes and one of those traditional grey curly wigs.  I appraised him as he approached the judges’ table, and my grip on Optimus’ hand tightened even more.  The judge sat at his bench and then place a name plaque on the desk in front of him.  It read ‘Judge Daniels.’  As the judge sat, so did the rest of the court.  There were a few seconds of ‘courtroom silence’ that consisted of the shuffling of papers and the opening and shutting of briefcases.  Judge Daniels put his glasses on and proceeded to read from a piece of paper in front of him.

‘On this twenty-sixth day of February, 2014, this court is set in motion.  The defendant, Clarence Reynolds is charged with the assault of a minor.  The charge was thereafter changed from assault to suspicion of murder.  However, it is clear that Miss Prime is alive and well.  Would Mr Prime please take to the stand and inform the court of his relationship to Miss Prime.’ 

Optimus gently squeezed my hand before getting up and walking over to the witness box.  He stepped into it and then tried to sit down and then rose again.  He looked at Judge Daniels and addressed him directly. 

‘If it would please your Honour, may I remain standing as there is not sufficient room to accommodate my limbs.’  Despite of my nerves, I smiled at Optimus’s formal way of requesting things.  He was always the perfect gentleman..or gentle-bot.  Judge Daniels looked a bit flustered as he answered Optimus.

‘Certainly Mr Prime, if you are more comfortable standing then I am more than happy for you to do so.’  Optimus nodded his thanks and looked down at the person who was going to ask him to swear on the Bible. 

‘Sir, please place your right hand upon the Bible.’  The speaker waited for Optimus to do so before continuing.  ‘Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?’ Optimus nodded and responded in kind.

‘I do so solemnly swear.’  The speaker removed the Bible from the stand and then stepped back, resuming his former position.  The man who I assumed to be dad’s lawyer stood up and cleared his throat. 

‘Mr Prime, could you please state for the court your name and relation to the alleged victim, Mr Reynolds’s daughter.’

‘Certainly, but first, allow me to correct you on one thing.  Miss Prime, Mr Reynolds’s daughter and my responsibility is not an alleged victim.  She is a definite victim of her father’s physical assault.  I will not have it inferred to this court that she is a liar.  As for my name and relationship; my name is Optimus Prime and I am Miss Prime’s legal guardian.’  As he spoke, he looked directly at me and gave me a very deliberate wink.  I smiled back, my nerves momentarily melting away.  Dad’s lawyer was visibly bristled by Optimus’s words but tried his best not to show it. 

‘Mr Prime, would you please tell the court how long you have known Miss Prime and how she came to be in your care.’  Optimus was about to answer when Lucy stood up and spoke directly to Judge Daniels. 

‘Objection your Honour!  I fail to see how Miss Prime came to find herself in Mr Prime’s care is relevant to the case.’  Judge Daniels looked mildly amused and nodded at Lucy. 

‘Objection sustained.  Mr Morris, please only ask relevant questions.’

Dad’s lawyer looked extremely embarrassed but carried on.  I found it amusing that his cheeks were a fantastic shade of pink. 

‘Yes your Honour.  Mr Prime, how long have you known Miss Prime?’

‘For eighteen months and 64 days.’

‘And in that time, have you known Miss Prime to lie?’  Optimus somehow stood even taller and narrowed his eyes at the Morris dude.

‘No.  And if I didn’t make myself perfectly clear the first time, I will NOT have Sky spoken about in this manner.’  I tensed automatically, my hands simultaneously clenching into tight fists.  The Morris dude swallowed loudly and took a tiny step backwards.  It wasn’t hard to see that he was clearly intimidated by Optimus, and that made me feel marginally better about the whole situation. 

‘Thank you Mr Prime.  No further questions your Honour.’  The Morris dude sat down and busied himself rustling some papers, trying to look important.  Lucy stood up and walked over to Optimus.

‘Mr Prime, you are Sky’s legal guardian, is that correct?’

‘Yes it is.’

‘In the time that Miss Prime has been living with you, did she make you aware of the fact that she had been physically abused and/or assaulted by her father, Mr Clarence Reynolds?’  Optimus shifted his weight slightly before answering. 

‘Yes.  She made me aware of it on the first night that she was in my care.  She explained that her father was unemployed, so she was the only one who brought any sort of financial income into their household.  If she was late paying the bills, she explained how Mr Reynolds would get violent with her, resorting to using physical violence against her.  I and my colleague, Special Agent William Fowler were witness to one such incident.  I saw first-hand the bruises and broken bones that she suffered at his hands.’  Optimus looked directly at my father as he said this, the qualities of his being a Prime shining bright and true.  I snapped my head back to look at dad when I heard the sound of glass shattering.  Dad had smashed clean through the glass box and was heading straight for Optimus. 

The only thought going through my mind as I leapt over the desk was to get to Optimus.  Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I raced towards Optimus.  As I got closer to him, so did my father.  He managed to evade the shocked prison officers as he left havoc in the form of upturned desks and chairs in his wake.  A strange feeling suddenly swept over me and I felt weightless and full of boundless energy.  I locked gazes with my father as I once more felt the most epic of electric shocks pass through my whole body.  There was a bright blue light, the same colour as Optimus’s optics.  I was vaguely aware that I was falling, and as I hit the ground, my vision went black. 


	14. The Court Case Part Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

** Optimus’s POV **

I catch her head before it can hit the ground.  Cradling her in my arms, I lift her bridal style and turn my back on her father.  Agent Fowler is at my side at once, regarding the scene behind me with wide eyes.  In my rush to get to Sky, I did not notice the sight that was currently unfolding before me.  I turn around again to face everyone, my grip on Sky tightening protectively.  Her father is on the opposite side of the courtroom from me, lying on his back.  His suit and thinning hair are ruffled from his rather impressive fall.  If I was capable of gasping, I would have done at that moment in time.  Accessing my memory banks, I re-watch the scene that occurred only seconds before. 

*30 seconds earlier*

Sky leaps over the desk as Clarence hurls himself towards me.  My eyes do not leave Sky as she rushes toward me, her face full of pure and utter panic.  I belatedly realise that she is worried for _me_ , she’s running to get to _me._  As Sky and her father get to within a cubic metre of each other, Sky’s body arcs gracefully upwards as if some invisible force is lifting her from the ground.  She is suddenly surrounded by an aura of blue light, identical in colour to mine and the other Autobots’ optics.  A nano-klick goes by before the lights around her dissipates and Clarence is blown backwards by a surprisingly forceful blast.  I register an energy signature almost like..  I abruptly push the thought to the back of my processor, it is not important right now.  Sky falls to the floor and I manage to catch her head before it can hit the ground.

*Present time*

Sky’s breathing is a little fast and she’s currently unconscious in my arms.  Everybody has the same look of shock on their faces as Clarence staggers to his feet and brushes himself down.  He is winded and moves stiffly, indicating he has hurt his back in his fall.  I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to see Agent Fowler. 

‘Prime, do you want me to carry her, ain’t she gettin’ heavy?’  I shake my head, pulling Sky closer toward my chest.

‘Negative Agent Fowler.  She is not heavy, and I want her with me.’  Agent Fowler just nods and runs a hand through his dark hair.  Sky’s lawyer, Miss Lucy Robson approaches Judge Daniels and speaks to him quietly.  He nods in response and adjusts his wig which is sitting slightly crookedly upon his head.  Lucy approaches Agent Fowler and I.

‘Judge Daniels has approved an hour’s recess from the court, on account of Miss Prime receiving medical attention.’  I nod and follow Lucy out of the door that we originally came through.  The low height of the door makes it awkward to walk through and carry Sky and I take great care to ensure that her head does not collide with the door frame as we proceed through it.  Mercifully, the military court is located next to an abandoned industrial estate which is large enough for me to transform without being seen.  I go through the reception area and walk to my true form.  I place Sky gently in the sleeper and wait for Agent Fowler and Lucy to get in.  As I pull out, I deactivate my holoform.  It only takes a short time to reach the industrial estate, during which I have contacted Ratchet over the comm. Link and he is already waiting for us, having travelled here via the Groundbridge. 

‘Agent Fowler, can you please remove Sky from the sleeper whilst I transform.’  At the word transform, I sense Lucy’s heart rate increase from 78 beats per minute to 82.  Although she knows of our existence as rather large (in comparison to the small humans) autonomous robotic organisms, she has never seen us in our true forms.  ‘Easy Miss Robson, I am the same in this form as I am in my holoform, just larger and covered in metal.’  She doesn’t reply but I feel her pat my dashboard.  I wait until Agent Fowler has completely removed Sky from my interior before I begin the transformation process.  Once I am transformed, I kneel to regard the humans more on their level and hold out my hand for Sky.  Agent Fowler places her gently in it, and I cup it so it fits the shape of her tiny body.  Ratchet in turn reaches for Sky, and I hesitate before handing her over to him.  I can tell he is in serious medic mode as he takes her in his hands and scans her vital statistics before looking at me questioningly. 

‘She’s been unconscious for three minutes and twenty-eight seconds.’  He nods and prods her gently on her shoulder.  She does not stir.  My Spark begins to pulse more frequently as it always does when Sky is in a compromising situation.  I transmit what happened in the courtroom over the comm. Link to Ratchet, along with the strange energy signature I detected coming from Sky.  Ratchet nods in silent understanding and then his optics widen.  My own snap back down to look at Sky when she begins to stir in Ratchet’s hands.

***

 

** Sky’s POV (a dream)  **

‘We meet again little one, I was wondering when I would see you next.’  The deep voice that had spoken to me once before in a dream resonated all around me.  I sat up and looked for the speaker.  My eyes found the same Cybertronian as before, the noble looking one who was predominantly light blue in colour. 

‘Who are you?’  He seemed to sigh before answering my question. 

‘My name is Alpha Trion and I speak to you from across ages.  Step before me and let me see you more closely little one.’  I did as I was bid and stepped onto the hand that he offered to me without hesitation and I was raised up to his great face.  Noble optics regarded me and I felt self-conscious under his gaze.  Alpha Trion chuckled gently and smiled at me.  ‘Amazing how one so small can have such an impact on the life of the last Prime.  Now I expect you have questions about what happened in the courtroom.’  It took me a few seconds to register the meaning of his words before I could answer him.

‘Yes..but how do you know about what happened in the courtroom?’

‘How I know them is not important little one, but that I know them is.  Now, this mysterious occurrence presented itself this afternoon in the form of a shared electric shock between you and Optimus.  Is that correct?’  I nodded, too stunned to speak.  ‘Good.  And the second time that it occurred was in the courtroom and was much more powerful this time.  Am I right?’  I nodded again.  ‘What occurred in the courtroom was an expulsion of pure energy from your body.  In layman’s terms, the energy that was expelled from your body is an extremely diluted form of Spark energy.  Even in this diluted form, this energy is extremely powerful.  It has lived within you for your whole life, but meeting Optimus was the catalyst it needed to manifest itself.  More specifically, it was the situation this afternoon when you thought your father posed a threat to Optimus.’  Alpha Trion paused here to let me take in and digest his words. 

‘So..this energy as you call it, it manifested itself when I thought Optimus was in danger?  So its purpose is to protect Optimus?’

‘Precisely.  Cybertron can never be restored without Optimus Prime.’  At the word ‘Cybertron’, I stood up in Alpha Trion’s hand and protested. 

‘Whoa!  Restore Cybertron?!’  Alpha Trion raised his eyebrows at me and I immediately quieted.  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to say that.’ 

‘That’s quite alright little one, I just didn’t expect such a loud noise from one so small.’  I huffed and sat back down on his hand, my mind going to Optimus. ‘At this moment in time, you don’t have control over your power.  Optimus will teach you control, and in time you will be able to summon and wield it as you please.  But you must be careful.  The energy within you has to come from somewhere.  This power uses your own energy Sky, and if used too much too soon, it could kill you.’ 

‘Kill me?’  Alpha Trion nodded gravely before continuing. 

‘Right now I am speaking to you in your unconscious state of mind.  The energy you expelled in the courtroom was too great, thus you lost consciousness.  Your mind and body need to recover from the energy expulsion and being unconscious gives them a chance to do so.  Sky, our time together is coming to a close but fear not little one, we will meet again soon.  For now, farewell and take care.’ 

***End of dream***

I opened my eyes slowly, becoming aware of the supernova style headache that was quickly forming in my skull.  I felt groggy and tired, and my head throbbed painfully like I had been kicked by a horse.  Ratchet was looming over me, staring worriedly at me.  Optimus was next to him and a relieved smile broke onto his face as our eyes met.  I realised I was in Ratchet’s hands and not Optimus’s.  Ratchet gently manoeuvred me into Optimus’s waiting hands and I covered my eyes with my own hands as he did so.  The pain in my head was becoming unbearable.  Optimus held me tenderly with the care of a new mother holding her baby.  His face came close to mine and he nuzzled me softly with his helm.  Despite the throbbing pain in my head, I found it in myself to smile and raise my hand to Optimus’s cheek to reciprocate the tender contact. 

‘Oh Sky, you scared me.’  I didn’t reply but stroked his hand with my own in an effort to reassure him. 

‘She’s severely dehydrated Optimus.  Whatever happened to her in the courtroom has had a detrimental effect on her short term physical health.  I’ll need to put an intravenous drip in to rehydrate her.  I have the appropriate rehydration fluid in my vehicle form.’  Ratchet transformed and an ordinary looking orange and white ambulance sat at Optimus’s feet.  Ratchet’s holoform materialised outside the ambulance and he opened the doors.  Optimus lowered the hand that I was sitting on to the ground so Ratchet could treat me properly.  ‘Alright Sky, do you have a headache?’  I nodded, not looking up to meet his gaze because the pain in my head was too great.  ‘Alright, this will make it go away.  The solution is a saline one with the appropriate electrolytes.’  I nodded again, not really listening.  I clenched my right hand into a tight fist while Ratchet put the tourniquet on my upper arm.  Optimus’s thumb served as a level surface for my hand to rest on while Ratchet prepared the syringe.  I was too tired to be bothered about the needle, and I barely felt it as it went in.  The weird sensation of the cold liquid travelling up my veins made me shiver and I laid back into Optimus’s hand.  Ratchet attached the bag to the pole thing before deactivating his holoform and transforming back to his bipedal form.  Optimus gently lowered himself so he was sitting on the ground. 

‘Sky, do you want to sleep in the sleeper?  I don’t mind.’  Optimus’s voice was concerned and his finger moved to gently caress my face.  I shook my head. 

‘No..wanna…stay with you.’  My words were slurred and slow and I sounded drunk.  I closed my eyes and sank into the relief of sleep.

** Optimus’s POV  **

Sky falls asleep quickly in my hand and I automatically send heat to the hand that she is in so she doesn’t get cold.  We have fifty minutes left of our hour’s recess from the court proceedings and I intent to let Sky sleep for those fifty minutes.  Agent Fowler stands near to my hand, gazing down at Sky as she sleeps. 

‘Prime..you do realise she will need to take to the stand if Clarence is to be charged.’ 

‘I understand Agent Fowler, but for now, let’s just let her rest and recover.’  Agent Fowler nods and get out his cellular device. 

‘Fowler here, can I request a wheelchair for Miss Prime.  You can find us on the abandoned industrial estate, the one opposite the court.’  I look at Agent Fowler, raising my eyebrows in a silent question.  ‘You don’t expect her to stand do you?’  I start to speak before Agent Fowler cuts me off.  ‘And no Prime, you can’t carry her for the whole time.  It’s not how things are done here.  She’ll have to go in a wheelchair.’  I don’t bother replying, but Ratchet huffs and rolls his optics, making no effort to show his distaste.  He seats himself next to me, careful to avoid Lucy and Agent Fowler.  Agent Fowler notices Lucy’s quiet demeanour and offers her his arm. 

‘Would you like a coffee Lucy?  I sure as hell need one.’  She takes his proffered arm and together they walk back to the court.  I speak with Ratchet in our native tongue as we wait for the recess to come to an end.   


	15. The Court Case: Conclusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this - please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

** The Court Case: Conclusion  **

When I woke with ten minutes to spare of our recess, I felt much better and a little more energised than before.  I was still in Optimus’s hands and they were deliciously warm.  I didn’t want to come out of my safe place and face my father again, but hiding from him wouldn’t make it go away.  I sat up and Optimus raised the hand that I was on.  His noble face was full of concern and his eyebrows were up in that worried way of his. 

‘Sky, are you alright?’  I nodded and stifled a yawn with the back of my hand.  ‘Can you go back to the court?  I can arrange for Agent Fowler to tell Judge Daniels that you will not be attending.’  At that I shook my head and got shakily to my feet.  ‘Easy little one, you need to let your body rest.’ 

‘I will Optimus, I promise you.  But I need to do this.  If I don’t, I’ll only have to do it at a later date, and I’m not sure I can do it again.  I feel okay, just a bit wobbly on my feet.’  Optimus nodded at that and rose to his feet.  As he was rising, I noticed a very Ratchet looking like ambulance parked a few feet away.  As if knowing I had noticed him, Ratchet transformed and held his hand out.  Over the past eighteen months, Ratchet and I had bonded too and I found that he had an incredibly caring Spark.  I thought privately that his stern manner was just a defence mechanism, one just needed to get to know him. 

‘If you feel wobbly on your feet, I will hold you whilst Optimus transforms.’  I could tell from Ratchet’s no-nonsense tone of voice that he was very serious.  Optimus smiled down at me and Ratchet and gently placed me into Ratchet’s waiting palm. 

‘Thank you old friend.’  Optimus then transformed into his alternate mode before materialising his holoform next to the passenger door.  Ratchet knelt and placed me into Optimus’s waiting arms before transforming himself. 

‘I will remain on standby outside the court in case you need me in the event of a medical emergency.’  He reversed a little before driving out of the industrial estate.  Optimus just smiled at his chief medical officer before carefully placing me in the passenger seat.  He walked around and got in on the driver’s side.  I raised an eyebrow at him as he put the truck in gear and eased out of the estate. 

‘I may as well go through the façade of driving.  I have to say, it is a rather unusual sensation to drive one’s self.’  I didn’t reply but laughed gently.  My left hand subconsciously went to scratch the back of my right where the drip had been.  There was already a faint bruise appearing in place of the cannula. Optimus glanced down at it and sighed before rubbing his thumb over it, almost as if he could rub it off completely. 

‘It’s okay.’  I whispered.  ‘I’m an easy bruiser.’  Optimus merely nodded his head, keeping his eyes on the empty road.  I sighed internally, knowing the reason behind his reluctance to speak about it.  He hated anything that bruised me, beneficial or otherwise.  The rest of the brief journey went on in silence, Optimus content to just hold my hand as he drove.   He pulled into the reserved space, but before getting out, climbed out of the driver’s seat and disappeared into the sleeper.  He emerged with a folded wheelchair and I put my head in my hands.  Knowing his protective nature, I knew there was no point trying to convince him to let me walk.  He grinned knowingly at me, knowing exactly what I was thinking.  He brought the wheelchair around to the passenger side, opened the door and held his arms out expectantly.  I shuffled toward him and he lifted me once more bridal style and placed me in the wheelchair.  It was surprisingly comfortable and roomy.  Leaning back into it, I made myself comfortable as Optimus wheeled me.  I could feel his knees gently banging into the back of the chair and I twisted around to look at him. 

‘Can you seriously not make your holoform any smaller?’  Optimus shook his head, almost sadly.

‘Unfortunately, no I cannot.  Believe me Sky, if I could I would.  I am beginning to understand why humans and organics in general are so small.’  He had the cutest frown on his face and I twisted around to face the right way again so he wouldn’t see me trying not to laugh.  We went straight to the courtroom and Optimus parked me behind the same desk that we had sat at previously.  All evidence of what had occurred only an hour before had been removed, the glass cleaned off of the floor and the upturned chairs and tables had been righted.  I tried unsuccessfully not to pay attention to the jury as twelve pairs of eyes focused on me.  What were they thinking?  Did they have to be impartial?  Did they care at all?  The questions raced through my mind and I wanted answers to none of them.  Optimus noticed my mild distress and reached for my hand.  I took his, feeling safety in his touch.  Judge Daniels walked in then and everybody stood, the only exception being me.  Judge Daniels looked directly at me and smiled warmly at me.  I quickly composed my face before anyone could see the surprise on it.  Lucy and Agent Fowler were next to Optimus, both looking a bit tired.  Lucy got up and went to the stand.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen of the court.  We were all witness to Mr Reynolds’ attempted assault on Mr Prime.  Those who witnessed the attempt, please raise your hand.’  Everybody in the court raised their hands.  Only just managing to hide her smug smile, Lucy continued.  ‘Because of this attempt, Mr Reynolds has not been allowed to re-join the court proceedings, for his own safety and the safety of others.’ 

‘Lock him up and throw away the key!’  I turned to see a member of the jury speaking.  She was an older lady with wispy grey hair and a small wrinkled face.  She then looked directly at me.  ‘He’ll get what’s coming to him dear!  Mark my words!’  One of the security guards looked at her sharply before Judge Daniels spoke.

‘Mrs Jones!  As a senior member of the jury I am shocked at your outburst.  I WILL have silence in this court.’  Mrs Jones said nothing but settled back into her seat, looking very sheepish indeed.  Lucy smiled wryly and continued to speak.

‘Thank you for your input Mrs Jones.  My final statement is this:  Mr Reynolds is guilty of assault and abuse of his daughter, Miss Prime, formerly Miss Reynolds.  Mr Reynolds should be sentenced accordingly, not only for Sky’s protection but the protection of the general public.  Whilst in prison, Mr Reynolds should undergo anger management therapy and attend AA meetings to deal with his alcoholism.  Mr Morris, I invite you to take the stand.’  Lucy sat and adjusted her collar, looking thoroughly disinterested as dad’s lawyer took to the stand.  I had to admire Lucy’s spirit and spunk.  I wasn’t sure where Agent Fowler had found her, but she was fighting my corner brilliantly.  Mr Morris looked very nervous as he began to speak. 

‘Ladies and Gentlemen of the court.  You have heard Miss Robson’s version of the story.  How Mr Reynolds beat and abused his daughter.  I say to you, Miss Prime was in control of this situation the whole time.  If this abuse has been going on for more than ten years as Miss Prime claims, why did she not alert the authorities sooner?  Why did she not remove herself from her father’s care?  I have no doubts at all that Miss Prime is a highly intelligent young woman, and it is this intelligence that gave birth to the fabrication of this abuse.  Mr Reynolds was frustrated with Miss Prime because she was an ungrateful daughter, taking all she could get and giving nothing in return.  Mr Reynolds may have sanctioned his daughter using unorthodox methods, but he is not guilty of the charges that he faces, and as a result, should not be found guilty.  That is my statement your Honour.’ 

I tried to stop them, but I couldn’t help the tears rolling down my cheeks.  This man, who knew nothing of me or my father, standing here and telling these strangers that I was a lying and ungrateful daughter.  I raised my hand.

‘Judge Daniels, may I please address the court?’  Judge Daniels looked surprised but nodded.  Mr Morris objected immediately. 

‘Your Honour!  The time for witnesses has passed!’   

‘Silence Mr Morris!  Please be seated and allow Miss Prime to take the stand.’  Morris sat down and looked very sullen.  As I put my hands on the metal rim of the wheels on the chair, a blue spark jumped from my hand and disappeared as quickly as it had come.  I looked up at Optimus in alarm, seeking his reassurance.  He got up and wheeled me to the stand, staying by my side. 

‘Your Honour, I swore on the Bible with Miss Robson and Agent Fowler as my witnesses, do I need to swear on it again?’  Judge Daniels shook his head. 

‘No Miss Prime.  You do not need to swear again.  Please, say what you have come to say.’  I took a deep breath and began to speak.

‘You have all just heard Mr Morris’s ‘version’ of what happened between my father and I.  I want to implore you all just to listen.  I am not a liar and I have never lied about something of this magnitude.  Picture this.  It’s raining outside and I am trying to get dinner finished before dad gets home.  Home from where?  Not work because he doesn’t have a job.  Home from voluntary work?  Not a chance.  His favourite place in the world, where all his friends reside in bottles.  You got it, the pub.  For dinner that night, steak and roast potatoes.  He came in, in a fit of absolute rage and took one look at me, then at the dinner plates.  Apparently he didn’t want steak and roast potatoes for dinner.  He grabbed me around my waist and flung me into the kitchen counter so hard that the impact broke two of my ribs.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I am not a liar, nor am I an attention seeker.  I am just trying to move on with my life and protect someone else from my father.  I don’t want you to see me as some damsel in distress, because I am not.  But my father needs to face justice, not just for me, but also my mother who he also physically abused.’  Optimus wheeled me back to our table and a hushed silence fell over the room.  Judge Daniels cleared his throat and then addressed the jury.

‘Members of the jury, do you find the defendant, Mr Clarence Reynolds, guilty or not guilty?’ 

Mrs Jones stood up.

‘Guilty.’


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this, please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read! ♥

In the end dad got five years and he would be able to apply for parole after serving two years.  I was happy with the result and ecstatic with what Lucy had achieved.  We’d all gone back to base together, Optimus, Lucy, Agent Fowler and I.  Optimus didn’t say much on the drive home and I knew deep down it was because he was disappointed with the result.  Five years was a good sentence and the maximum that he could have received.  Agent Fowler and Lucy were sat on the couch together having a coffee and discussing the day’s events.  I was sitting with Optimus whilst Ratchet did a routine check-up of his assemblage and systems.  My stomach rumbled and Ratchet spoke without looking up from his work. 

‘Sky.  Tomorrow I’m going to need a long chat with you about what happened today, but right now it sounds like you need to refuel.’  I nodded and slid off of Optimus’ leg.  I stretched, all my joints feeling stiff and sore.  Optimus looked down at me and moved his hand slightly toward me.  His movement was limited because he was hooked up to Ratchet’s machines, so I stepped forward to close the last bit of distance between us.  Agent Fowler descended the stairs and approached the berth where Optimus was sitting.

‘Hey Sky, Lucy and I were gonna go out to get some pizza to celebrate, my treat.  Wanna come?’  I nodded and grinned at him.  It then struck me that I was unable to get off of the berth without help.  It was about ten feet off the ground, and Optimus couldn’t help because he was being poked and prodded by Ratchet.  I turned and gave Ratchet a guilty smile and he rolled his optics but smiled all the same.  Being picked up by Ratchet was a little awkward, as I saw him as my doctor, and although he was gentle, he wasn’t to the same degree as Optimus was.  No one could ever be as gentle as Optimus in my opinion.  He scooped me up into his large palm and deposited me on the floor next to Agent Fowler.  I tapped Optimus’ foot before we got into Lucy’s rather nice Ferrari and drove out of the base.  It was a bit cramped in the back but Agent Fowler needed to be in the front to accommodate his long legs.  Lucy drove quickly and the base was soon out of sight.  When we stopped at the traffic lights, she put the top down.  I couldn’t help the grin sliding on to my face, I loved riding with the top down.   The weather was warm and cool at the same time, with the smell of rain in the air.

‘I think it will rain tomorrow.’  I said, leaning forward so I could talk to Agent Fowler and Lucy more easily.

‘Pfft.  I’ll eat my hat if it does.’  I smiled at Agent Fowler’s way of phrasing things.  My favourite was ‘star spangled shorts.’  Before long we were on the highway and Lucy accelerated to match the speed of the traffic.  Because the base was in the middle of nowhere, the nearest pizza takeout was a 20 minute journey away.  Occasionally Optimus and I made the journey there, but on two occasions he had attracted quite a crowd of admirers. 

‘Lucy?’  I said her name tentatively and quietly, and her eyebrows raised as she looked at me in the rear-view mirror.

‘Yes Sky?’

‘I want to thank you, you’ve helped me put a huge part of my life that I hated behind me, and I will always be grateful for that.’

‘You’re more than welcome Sky.  It’s my job, and it makes it even better when I see the effect that a sentencing has on my clients.  I feel good putting sleaze balls like your dad away in prison.  The world is a better place without them.  Having said that, I would be out of a job if there weren’t any of them around!’  I smiled and leant back into my seat, enjoying the sensation of the speed and wind in my hair.  Lucy decelerated to come off at the exit and soon we had pulled up in front of the pizza place.  Lucy twisted around in her seat to face me.  ‘Sky?  Would you mind staying in the car?  It’s just..’  She gestured to the dodgy looking neighbourhood and shrugged her shoulders.  I nodded and took the keys from her outstretched hand.  She and Agent Fowler got out of the car and went into the takeout place, Agent Fowler letting Lucy go through the door first.  It didn’t take long before Agent Fowler and Lucy emerged from the takeout, each carrying two boxes.  I grinned as the boxes were handed to me.  The pizza smelled delicious, and I rested the boxes on my lap, not wanting the grease to mark Lucy’s leather seats.  My phone buzzed in my pocket and I fished it out to find I had a text from Optimus.

//

‘Are you alright?  Make sure you strap in in the car ;) O x’

//

I smiled and typed a quick reply before pocketing my phone.  ‘Do you want to take the scenic route back?  The countryside is beautiful at this time of the evening.’  I nodded and Agent Fowler groaned, muttering something that sounded very much like ‘women.’  Lucy shot him a look of death before pulling out onto the road.  We drove along a road that I had not been down before.  On each side, tall trees hung over the road, breaking the sunlight as it filtered down through the leaves.  Agent Fowler reached forward to turn the radio on and country music filled the car.  He leant back into his seat, tapping his hand on his knee in time to the music.  We hadn’t been driving for much longer than twenty minutes when I heard a low rumbling noise coming from behind us.  It was quiet at first but grew progressively louder as the seconds passed.  It was the distinctive sound of a low, throaty engine, the kind that exists only in ridiculously expensive sports cars.  It wasn’t long before I saw the source of the noise.  A maroon coloured car was coming up behind us, making no effort to slow as it got closer and closer.  My heart stopped when I looked at the car properly, drinking in every little detail.  The car was beautiful.  It had a sleek, angular body and was low to the ground.  The car’s muscle tyres were complimented by bright yellow rims and there was no mistaking the distinctive sigil that was adorned onto the bonnet.  I didn’t think twice as I leaned forward to alert Lucy.

‘Lucy, pedal to the metal!  Now!’  Lucy stared at me incredulously in the rear-view mirror, confused by my sudden outburst.  Agent Fowler spun around in his seat and gazed at me with sudden understanding. 

‘Lucy! Do it now! Before we’re part of this road!’  Lucy did not hesitate and the car leapt forward, the force of it thrusting me back into my seat.  I watched the needle climb rapidly up the speedometer, stopping briefly on 110mph.  Lucy’s knuckles were white from gripping the wheel so tightly, her breathing fast and shallow.  ‘Damnit Lucy! Go as fast as this thing will go!  But do **not** go back to base, do you understand me?’  Lucy nodded and swallowed loudly.  ‘I’m gonna call for back up.’ 

‘I don’t think that will work fleshling!  Something about a lack of cellular service in these remote areas on your vile planet!’  Knockout’s voice was beside us as he pulled up right alongside us, matching our increasing speed easily.  I knew that ultimately we could never outrun him, but if we could keep going long enough for Optimus and the others to reach us or realise that something was wrong, we had a tiny bit of hope.  I hit Optimus’ speed-dial, but there was just static on the other end of the line. 

‘Agent Fowler, he’s scrambling our communications!’  Agent Fowler let out an angry shout and threw his phone at Knockout.  It knocked off his wing mirror and his engine revved angrily in response. 

‘Argh!  Watch the paint insect!’  Knockout sped up, coming out in front of us before transforming on the move.  He turned and reached for the car, grabbing it by the bonnet and arcing us in a perfect semi-circle before he let go completely.  I felt my stomach move up and then back down as we did a full loop the loop before the car landed hard and fast on its roof.  Agent Fowler was unconscious, a single line of blood trailing down from his dark hair.  Lucy was in a worse way, her face a scarlet mess of blood, her nose crushed into her face from where she had smacked it on the wheel.  The wheel itself was digging into her chest and her breathing was erratic, her lungs not able to draw in enough air.  Every couple of breaths she had to spit out a fresh mouthful of blood.  She tried to speak, but all she managed were a few gurgling sounds.  The pain in her face was awful and I suddenly felt so helpless.  I reached for her, grabbing her hand as best I could in the confined space of the car.  She gurgled again and started to cough, her whole body convulsing violently.  Her grip on my hand tightened before her eyes were no longer focused on me, but slid past me, focusing on nothing in particular.  The pain left her eyes as her hand slowly went limp in my grasp. 

‘No!  Lucy! Stay with me, it’s going to be okay,  I promise!’  My words were broken and desperate, the tears already rolling down my cheeks.  I didn’t register the pain I was in or the way I was laying in an unnatural position in the car as it was abruptly tipped the right way up.  Knockout pulled me roughly from the wreckage of the car and lifted me up into the air.  I tried to shy away from his strong fingers as they grasped me with too much pressure around my ribs and torso.  He threw me into the air before transforming and catching me in his alt-mode.  Multiple seatbelts came across me and restrained my arms, even my legs.  He drove away from the car wreckage, and my mind wondered to what Knockout and his fellow Decepticons had in store for me. 


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this, please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

On board _The Nemesis_

The leader of the Decepticons was not in the best of moods.  He stood in his private quarters, keeping watch on the main console which allowed him to keep an optic on his fellow nefarious Decepticons.  His processor kept straying into dangerous territory and that was never good for Megatron.  Currently, the thoughts going through his processor were of his treacherous second in command.  Starscream was a complex character, one that could not be underestimated.  Megatron had learned this lesson the hard way after the disastrous mission with Airachnid to retrieve the immobiliser.  Megatron was determined not to make the same mistake twice.  He could not afford for anymore Decepticons to follow Starscream’s example of going rogue.  He closed his optics briefly, savouring the rare moments that he got to spend alone.  His sacred silence was interrupted by Knockout’s voice coming over his personal comm. Link. 

‘My Liege, I have something here that I think you will be very interested to see.’  Megatron rolled his optics.  He had no patience for the vain antics of his chief medical officer.

‘Very well Knockout, I will indulge you in your latest whim.  Meet me on the main deck.’  Megatron shut off the communication before exiting his quarters.  As he proceeded to the main deck, the servant class vehicons parted to allow him passage, mumbling ‘Lord Megatron’ before hurrying away.  Megatron passed his covert communications chief and possibly favourite Decepticon; Soundwave.  The ever silence communications chief nodded at his master before turning back to the console that he had been monitoring.  Knockout was standing with his back to Megatron.  Upon hearing his master’s heavy footsteps, Knockout turned around to face his leader.  What Knockout was holding caused Megatron’s Spark to stop pulsing for a nano-klick.  Knockout was holding a small human female and she appeared to be unconscious.  Her long black hair was tangled in Knockout’s slim fingers and her face looked like she was in pain.  Multiple lines of blood were streaked down her face.  On closer inspection, Megatron detected from his scan that she had haematomas beginning to form on her torso and arms.  Megatron kept his voice low and menacing as he began to speak. 

‘Knockout.  Why in the pits of Kaon do you think I would be interested in something like that?’ 

‘Because of two very important reasons my Liege.  The first one, the energy signature that we detected earlier.  This female is the source of it.  Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, she is Prime’s pet.’  Megatron made no effort to hide his surprise.  He recalled how Starscream had mentioned something similar.  Optimus being ridiculously protective of one human in particular..a female and not the feisty one that was under the protection of Bulkhead.  A slow, evil smile worked its way onto his face and he walked forward, holding out his hand.  Knockout placed the girl into Megatron’s outstretched palm, a smug smile on his face. 

‘You are dismissed Knockout.’  Knockout started to protest but Megatron stopped him by holding up a hand.  ‘I need to study this small female and speak with her.’  Megatron retreated from the main deck and walked back to his own quarters.  He dumped the female unceremoniously on his berth, gazing at her with greedy curiosity. 

***

_ Autobot Outpost Omega One  _

Optimus tried Sky’s phone once more.  Again he was greeted with the breezy voicemail greeting message.  His hand went absent-mindedly to his helm, a trait he had acquired fairly recently.  Ratchet had noticed his leader’s worried behaviour and until that point, had decided to ignore it.  Ratchet put down his frame welder and approached his worried leader.  The other members of team Prime were otherwise engaged, so it was just the two of them in the main communications room.  Ratchet knew that the cause of Optimus’ worry was the amount of time it was taking for Sky, Lucy and Agent Fowler to return from collecting their pizza. 

‘Optimus, I’m sure they’re just stuck in traffic, it is the rush hour after all.’  Optimus shook his head, a frown forming on his noble face.

‘No.  She would have told me if they were obstructed by the traffic.  I received her reply to my text communication over ninety minutes ago.  I believe I have valid cause for concern.’  Ratchet was about to reply when the SOS alert went off on the main computer.  Optimus rushed over to it, pressing the answer button.  Agent Fowler’s voice came over the loudspeakers. 

‘Prime…I need you and the other ‘bots to come get me.  We were attacked by Knockout.  He took Sky and… Lucy’s dead Prime.’  Optimus involuntarily took in a large volume of air through his vents before extracting the coordinates from Agent Fowler’s call and remotely activating the Groundbridge. 

Optimus was horrified by the sight that met his optics as he emerged from the Groundbridge.  What had previously been Lucy’s car was now a wreck of twisted metal.  Optimus winced internally at the fragility of the human made metal.  Raf had cut off all traffic to the road that Optimus and Ratchet were currently on on behalf of Agent Fowler.  Optimus approached the twisted wreckage of the car and knelt next to it, removing any debris so that he could access Agent Fowler and Lucy more easily. 

‘Wait a moment Optimus, let me scan Agent Fowler before you move him, he may have broken something.’  Optimus waited whilst Ratchet carried out the appropriate scans.  Lucy’s lifeless body was slumped over the steering wheel and the sight upset Optimus greatly.  ‘He has not broken anything, but he needs immediate medical attention.’  Ratchet bent down and easily snapped the seatbelt that was restraining Agent Fowler.  He carefully removed him from the car before disappearing back through the Groundbridge.  Optimus gently picked up the car and followed Ratchet through the Groundbridge.  Ratchet looked back over his shoulder as Optimus exited the Groundbridge.  ‘Agent Fowler is stable… he should be able to tell us more when the effects of his pain medication wear off.’  Optimus just nodded and made his way to his private quarters, still holding the car. 

Optimus POV 

I place what is left of the car upon my berth and try to remove Lucy’s body without damaging her further.  The steering wheel is obstructing me, so I grasp it between my fingers and thumb and pull it out, catching Lucy as she falls forward.  I snap the seatbelt as Ratchet did and remove Lucy’s body as gently as I am capable of.  Upon scanning her, I find that her ribs were crushed by the steering wheel and in turn, both of her lungs have been punctured.  Even if she had survived the attack, I sincerely doubt that attempts to save her life would have been in vain.  I am unfamiliar with human customs concerning death, but I know enough to know that humans are respected, even in death.  I lay her on Sky’s bed, placing her hands over her abdomen and she abruptly looks more peaceful, the pained look having left her face.  I bow my head for a moment.  I do not know what Sky believes about life after death, if she believes anything at all, for we have not discussed it.  I do believe that all humans have a soul, be it good or bad.  A soul to me is energy, much like a Spark, and energy never ends, thus souls are immortal.  I say what we would at home, knowing that it does not matter that we were born of different worlds. 

‘Rest in peace Lucy Robson.  May Primus guide you safely to the AllSpark.’  The pain that courses through me is like nothing I have ever felt before.  Sky’s absence is already a gaping hole in my Spark.  The Decepticons have taken my little one, and for that, they will pay dearly.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this, please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

Sky’s POV 

When I woke up, the first thing I was aware of was a sharp, stabbing pain in my left side.  I instinctively reached for Optimus and then snatched my arm back, remembering what had occurred earlier.  As I tried to sit up, pain shot through my left arm and my ribs.  I managed to sit upright, noticing that my hair was matted and sticky with dried blood.  My left wrist was horribly misshapen and I suspected it was broken.  A sound behind me made me spin around, and I fell back when I saw the sight before me.  Megatron was looming over me, a sinister look of curious obsession etched upon his face.  I scooted away from him and he surprised me by chuckling softly.  He raised a brow ridge as our eyes met and my blood turned to ice in my veins.  He lowered himself slightly so he could regard me more easily.  I shied away from him once more, wincing as my ribs protested against the movement. 

‘Relax little one, I have no intention of hurting you…yet.’  Despite the fear coursing through my whole body, I felt my eyes widen at his words.  My mouth was completely dry, I wanted to speak but I couldn’t find my voice.  ‘We have a few things to talk about…and I need you to be _compus mentis_ for the duration of our conversation.’  At these words, his hand started coming towards me and his index finger moved to my chin, tilting my face upward so I was forced to look him in the optic.  I was about to try and swat him away when I felt the same intense energy building up inside me as I had felt in the courtroom.  Once more I felt the most intense of electric shocks and the blue light arced away from my body and towards the threat.  The energy made contact with his finger and he pulled back sharply, pushing me away with an easy flick of his wrist.  I automatically put my left hand out to support myself and immediately regretted it.  It gave way underneath my weight and I fell onto my side. ‘And that, my little insect is precisely why we need to have a long and detailed conversation.’  He reached out for me and grabbed me off of the berth, holding me way too tightly.  I struggled in his grip to free my arms from his strong fingers.  He loosened his grip slightly, allowing me to free my arms.  My ribs protested once more at the strained movement and I struggled not to show it in front of Megatron.  He raised his brow ridges in what looked like mild amusement.  ‘So, you’re Prime’s pet.  I must say I am pleasantly surprised that you got through to him.  Since becoming a Prime he has become stoic and his Spark has hardened.  I fail to see his fascination with you.’  I felt the energy building up in my once again, but this time it was different.  I had _control_ over it.  It took every fibre in my being to not let it exit my body there and then.  I was already in a lot of pain and I didn’t want to add to it by causing Megatron to drop me.  Megatron looked at me expectantly, waiting for my reply.  I said nothing and looked away from him.  He was seemingly unaware of the internal battle that was occurring inside my mind.  My breathing slowed as my ribs gradually expanded back to their natural position.  Despite the precarious situation, I felt surprisingly confident, only a small amount of fear present in my mind.  Looking at Megatron’s cruel face, I knew right then that he could not be allowed to know about the energy that resided within me.  ‘So little one.  As fascinated as I am with your strange relationship with Optimus, tell me about these energy signatures that Soundwave detected earlier today.’  I tried my hardest to look indifferent and uninterested, attempting to smooth my face to a completely neutral expression.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.  Perhaps Soundwave needs a maintenance check.’  Megatron narrowed his optics at me and put me down roughly on his berth. 

‘Do not take me for a fool!  My scanners are detecting it within you right now!  What has Optimus Prime’s medic done to give you this Spark like energy?!’  I couldn’t help the fear from showing then.  His voice was raised to a thunderous capacity and he was growing more and more agitated with each passing second. 

‘Ratchet.  His name is Ratchet.  In answer to your question, he hasn’t done anything.’  Megatron did not respond but slammed his fist down mere inches from where I was sitting.  When he lifted it, there was a large dent where he had slammed his fist down.  I swallowed loudly and shuffled away from him.

‘Oh no you don’t.  Come here!’  He grabbed my ankle between his finger and thumb, pulling me closer to him.  Suddenly I could control the impulse no more, and I let the energy poor out for me as for the second time in one day, my consciousness deserted me.

***

Autobot Outpost Omega One 

The mood in the Autobot base was particularly sombre.  Lucy’s death had impacted on all the Autobots, but had hit Optimus the hardest.  His team-mates were worried for him.  Since Sky’s abduction, their leader had withdrawn to his quarters and had not emerged since.  Arcee had left the others to their own devices and had just returned from dropping Jack off at home.  She was now standing outside the Prime’s quarters, hesitating at whether or not to knock and enter.  Deciding to offer Optimus a crutch for a change, Arcee knocked on the steel doors.  She heard Optimus’s heavy footsteps approach the doors and they slowly slid open.  Optimus’s optics widened in surprise as Arcee entered the room.

‘Forgive me Arcee, I thought it was Ratchet wanting to scan my neural net.’  Arcee shook her head, closing the doors behind her. 

‘Optimus.  I come to you not as a soldier, but as a friend.  I can see you’re hurting and I want you to know that you can talk to me.  I know you’re a Prime and you think you have to keep your emotions in check and under control.  Since we’ve had Sky and the kids with us, we’ve become a family.  We are no longer separate units that work together, we are something much more complex.  Sky, the kids, you, me, Bulk and Bee, slag it even Ratchet!  We are all family and we all love each other.  Families help each other, please Optimus.  Let me help you for once.’  Arcee waited nervously for Optimus’s reply.  He took his time to form a response, contemplating Arcee’s words.

‘Thank you Arcee.  I cannot put into words what I am feeling right now.  I love her Arcee.  She is the most important person in my life and I cannot function without her.  She is at the mercy of the Decepticons, and we both know they have none!’  Arcee looked in her leader in surprise at his raised voice.  She was so used to seeing him calm and collected.  It was only right at that moment that Arcee realised just how important Sky was to Optimus.  He spoke again, this time his voice almost a whisper.  ‘I cannot lose her Arcee, I cannot lose her.’  Arcee was lost for words as she watched her leader emotionally crumble in front of her.  His right hand was clenched in a tight fist and he held it to his face.  Arcee approached Optimus slowly and placed her slender hands on both of his broad arms.  Optimus looked down at her, a small, sad smile forming on his face plate. 

‘We’ll get her back Optimus, she’s strong.’  Optimus nodded in agreement, unclenching his fist revealing a tiny jumper in his palm.  Arcee realised it was Sky’s; she often wore it around the base. 

‘I have no doubt about her inner strength Arcee, but I still fear for her safety.  Something happened in court this afternoon, and I know in my Spark that’s why she was taken.’  Arcee silently encouraged Optimus to continue with a gentle look from her soft optics.  ‘Sky’s father, Clarence, smashed his way through the witness box.  He made his way towards me, but before he could get to me, Sky threw herself in front of me.  An energy akin to Spark energy left her body, and she lost consciousness.’  Optimus pressed his finger to the side of his head, the way he did when he accessed his comm. Link, and projected a holographic video image directly from his memory banks for Arcee.  He watched her optics widen as she watched the scene unfold before her.

‘So you think the ‘Cons want her because of that energy burst?’

‘Without doubt.  Soundwave must have detected the energy signature.  All Knockout had to do was follow the signal.  I am going to get her back Arcee, and I need your help.’ 

***

_ On board The Nemesis  _

Sky’s POV 

When I regained consciousness, Megatron was nowhere to be seen and my arms and legs were bound to the hard metal surface that I was lying on.  My left wrist had been put into a roughly made splint and that surprised me.  Why would the Decepticons care about my broken wrist?  I turned my neck and pain shot down my back.

‘Welcome back recharge head.’  I started at the loud voice that came from the right of me.  Knockout came into my field of vision, a small smile on his face.  ‘Seeing as you won’t tell Lord Megatron about these peculiar little energy bursts, I need to delve inside your mind.’  I started to pull against my restraints, desperately trying to break free.  ‘We’ve never tried the procedure on a human before, have we Lord Megatron?’  I heard Megatron’s cruel chuckle as he entered the room. 

‘Indeed Knockout, but there is a first time for everything.’  I felt his heavy footsteps vibrate the surface I was laying on.  Megatron came up to me and touched my face with the tip of his finger.  I pulled back as far as my restraints would let me, but it wasn’t far.  He stuck something onto my temple and then laid down on the examination berth next to me.  ‘Knockout had to make a slight adjustment to our cortical psychic patch.  We are still not sure if it will be compatible with your inferior human mind, but we can always open you up if it fails to yield any new knowledge.’

‘Do whatever the hell you want, you’re nothing more than a glorified slag heap.’  Megatron growled at my words but did not pursue it further. 

‘Knockout!  Patch me up.  I want to see inside this insect’s mind.’ 

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and waited for the mental assault.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this, please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

As Knockout activated the cortical psychic patch, a strange foggy sensation came over my mind.  All the sounds around me grew distant and distorted, almost like I was going to lose consciousness again, but I did not.  Megatron was glaring at Knockout angrily and Knockout was frantically pushing on the console, desperately trying to make the patch work.  The foggy sensation was still in my head as Knockout tried a second time to activate the cortical psychic patch.  On the second failed attempt, Megatron left his berth and approached me. 

‘There is no point Knockout.  Her mind is impenetrable!’  As he said this, he ripped the patches roughly off of my temples and easily snapped the restraints holding me down.  ‘I will return shortly Knockout, ensure the cortical psychic patch is functioning correctly by the time I turn.’ 

‘As you wish my liege.’  Megatron carried me through the maze of corridors to his private quarters.  Being held by him was so rough and alien compared to Optimus’s gentle, loving hands.  As we neared his berth, he dropped me on it and then sat down himself.  Megatron was roughly the same size as Optimus, but his features were rough and angular.  He looked down at me quizzically. 

‘You stay away from me.  Don’t touch me.  Ever.’  Megatron chuckled again, and instead of being surprised like I had been before, I was angry.  ‘What is so funny?!  Just shut your fragging mouth you stupid bucket- head!’  The insult was incredibly childish but incredibly satisfying.  Megatron looked at me with a surprised expression on his face.

‘Well.  You appear to have been spending too much time with Bulkhead.  But, this can easily be forgiven.  I admire your spirit, despite your…humanness.’  I huffed and turned my back to him.  ‘Do not turn your back on me human.’  He turned me around roughly between two fingers and forced me to look at him.  ‘You are either very brave or very foolish.  Do you not realise what I could do to you?’  Megatron’s voice was ominously low and he leant closer to me.  I felt bile rise in my throat but I managed to keep my voice steady and calm. 

‘You won’t hurt me.  Not whilst you don’t know anything about my special talent.’  Megatron’s optics narrowed and he started to reach for me.  It all happened very fast then.  I felt my body rise two or three feet off of the berth before the blue energy exploded out of me.  The last thing I was aware of was the sensation of falling. 

** In the presence of Alpha Trion  **

‘We meet again little one.  I apologise for calling you to me in this manner, but I must speak to you about a matter of grave importance.’  The familiar voice resonated all around me and deep within my chest.  I sat down on Alpha Trion’s cold palm and waited patiently for him to speak.  ‘There is no time to waste young one.  You must get away from Megatron as soon as possible, he cannot know about the energy that resides within you.  Do you understand?’  I nodded slowly, the power of speech deserting me momentarily. 

‘I understand Alpha Trion.  How do I get away from him?’

‘You must use your small size to your advantage.  But now I must quickly tutor you in your abilities.  You will need them to disable the ship.’

‘Disable the ship?!  How am I supposed to do that?!’  Alpha Trion chuckled lightly and moved the hand that I was sitting on closer to his face. 

‘Easy little one.  We do not have much time.  I need you to think of something that will motivate you.’  I raised one eyebrow at him, my silent question upon my face.  ‘Concentrate Sky.  What will motivate you to use your power?’  I thought for a few seconds before I answered his question.  My reply was quiet and I didn’t look him in the optic as I said it. 

‘I don’t know Alpha Trion.’  He did not respond but looked away from me and everything in my field of vision started to go hazy.  The scene before me started to change, Alpha Trion completely disappeared and I was on a hard rocky floor.  Dozens of dead vehicons littered the floor before me and the ground shook with the vibrations of the battling Cybertronians.  I started to cross the battleground to look for cover when I heard a shout that ripped into my core in an indescribable manner.  Optimus’s shout tore through me and stopped me dead in my tracks.  He and Megatron were in the middle of a death match, and Megatron had just stabbed Optimus in his abdomen.  Optimus was doubled over in pain, clutching at his wound, trying to stop the Energon from pouring out too quickly.  I sped over to him and touched his foot.  At my touch, he looked down and his eyebrow crests rose in surprise as he gazed down at me.  I broke my gaze away from Optimus and looked at Megatron, who had his sword arm raised, ready to strike the final lethal blow.  I felt anger rising within me and then I knew what I had to do.  I turned to completely face Megatron and held up my hands to him.  Seconds later, the energy exploded out of me, knocking all three of us off our feet.  Optimus caught me before I could land on the hard ground, and I relished being in his safe hands once more.  Megatron was shakily getting to his feet about three hundred yards away from us.  Optimus rose too, cradling me protectively in his hand.  The scene then faded again, and I was once more sat on Alpha Trion’s palm.  He was smiling incredulously, and there was something that I couldn’t quite identify present in his optics. 

‘Well done young one.  You are ready.  When you regain consciousness, shock Megatron.  But you must not use too much force, you are small so you need to use small bursts of power.  Follow the Energon lines on the ceiling to the main power room.  When you are there, let your energy loose on the Energon cube fuel converter and I will take care of the rest.’

‘How will you do that?  I mean-‘ Alpha Trion cut me short by holding up one hand.

‘Now is not the time for questions young one.  How am I speaking to you now?  How is it that one so small has such a colossal role to play in the life of the last Prime?  Fear not, everything will go to plan.  For now, I bid you farewell Sky.  We will meet again soon.’ 

***

I woke up slowly and Megatron was looming over me.  I let the energy build within me briefly before I let it go.  It was enough to shock Megatron so that his attention was elsewhere for a second.  That one second was all I needed to leap off of the berth and race for the huge doors.  I got out into the corridor and looked up to the ceiling for the Energon fuel lines.  I prayed that I would get there without incident as I started the most desperate run of my life. 

***

 

** Autobot Outpost Omega One  **

‘Optimus, speak to me!’  The red and white medic crouched over his leader, who had fallen into a mild stasis for no apparent reason.  Ratchet’s instruments told him that the Prime’s life was not in danger and that his systems were functioning completely normally.  Optimus’s optics flickered as he came back online and got shakily to his feet.  Ratchet guided him to a berth and sat him down on it.  ‘Optimus, are you alright?’  Optimus nodded slowly, his hand coming up to hold his helm. 

‘I am operational Ratchet.  My memory banks are not registering the last few minutes.  How long was I offline?’

‘Only for a moment or two.  Wait, Optimus, where are you going?’  Ratchet put a hand on his leader’s chassis and tried to get him to sit down once more, but Optimus was much larger and stronger than Ratchet, so Ratchet’s attempts to get him to sit were futile. 

‘Easy old friend.  We need to get to the Arctic. Now.’  Ratchet did not question his leader but opened the Groundbridge to the co-ordinates that Optimus had uploaded to the main console.  Arcee approached her leader as they made their way through the glowing green vortex of the Groundbridge.  Optimus chose to answer her silent question over an encrypted comm. Link so that the others could not hear what he was saying.  He didn’t want anyone else except Ratchet and Arcee to know about Sky’s strange power.

_//_

_I saw Sky in a vision Arcee.  It was like a Spark dream, but I felt her presence.  I know she is safe.  She will be in the Arctic momentarily.  Do not ask me how I know that, I cannot tell you right now.  I need to get to Sky and ascertain her safety._

_//_

Arcee nodded at this information but did not offer a verbal response.  As they emerged through the Groundbridge they were greeted with a blanket of white snow reflecting the bright, white sunlight.  The temperature was not cold enough that it would affect them detrimentally, though Optimus did look back at Arcee with a hint of a smile in his optics.  Bulkhead and Bumblebee followed them through the Groundbridge, stopping just behind Optimus.

‘What now boss?’  Bulkhead was impatient, his fists itching as usual.

‘Now, we wait.’

***

** On board _The Nemesis_ **

I was in the main engine room of _the Nemesis_ and was looking at the giant claw that was feeding Energon cubes into the giant generator.  Alpha Trion’s words echoed in my head and I took a deep breath before letting the energy build up in me.  My hands started to tingle as the energy increased in power.  I gave in to instinct and let my subconscious take over.  My hands shaped themselves and the energy shot out of them.  The energy was blue again as it shot toward the generator and made contact.  There was a small explosion before the machine stuttered and started to smoke before an ominous groaning sound started coming from it.  The ship lurched in the air before it started its descent.

** Optimus  **

_The Nemesis_ is smoking as it travels toward us, descending quick and fast.  I position myself near to where it will land, and get ready to fight Megatron for my little one. 


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this, please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read ♥

** Sky **

As _the Nemesis_ descended toward the ground, I clung on to the now still energon claw and braced for the impact.  I trusted Alpha Trion would take care of the rest as I had honoured his request of disabling the ship.  It had been one of the most surreal experiences to date.  I watched the energy seep out of my hands and swirl towards the main generator.  On its way it twisted and changed shape, and I realised I could bend it to my very will.  I couldn’t quite grasp the magnitude of the power that was within me, and that fact frightened me.  I hugged myself to the claw and shut my eyes in preparation for the impact.  When it came, it was loud and rough.  The force of the ship colliding with the ground dislodged me from the claw and I rolled away from it, straight into some energon cubes.  I couldn’t help but cry out in pain as my ribs protested against my weight as I rolled over the floor.  I stuck out my good arm to support my weight, cradling my left arm against my abdomen.  My head was throbbing and my vision was starting to go hazy, the effect of the energy burst catching up with me.  The ship slid along the ground for what seemed like an eternity, before coming to a slow, lazy stop.  I struggled to my feet and walked toward a gaping hole in the side of the main engine room.  A cold wind blew in and made me shiver, causing goosebumps to rapidly appear on my arms.  I was surprised to see that the wind brought some snowflakes in with it and I walked over to the edge of the hole.  It had to be about fifteen feet off of the ground, but there was a thick layer of snow that would cushion my fall.  The wind blew my hair around my face, obstructing my vision briefly.  I was pulled from my contemplation of jumping by Megatron’s voice coming over the loudspeaker of the ship. 

‘Decepticons, find the human vermin!  Detect her heat signature and bring her to me, ALIVE.  If any of you harm her before I have the chance to, I will rip out your Spark chamber and feed it to the scraplets!’  At this, I needed no more persuasion to jump and I hurled myself off of the side, landing in the soft, cold snow.  It quickly saturated through my thin cardigan and dress, soaking me to the skin.  I heard the words ‘heat signature’ from within the bowels of the ship and decided to roll in the snow.  I wasn’t sure if it would help, but if I wasn’t hot then I hoped the Decepticons wouldn’t be able to detect my heat signature.  My teeth were already chattering as I started to pick my way away from the Decepticon ship.  I hoped that Optimus was somewhere near, I couldn’t imagine Alpha Trion causing the ship to land here in this desolate frozen landscape for no reason.  Something inside me told me to head straight on and slightly to the left.  I wasn’t one to question instinct, so I headed for the direction that felt the most right.  My arms and legs burned from the coldness of the snow but the cold also helped to numb the throbbing pain in my ribs.  I was alarmed to feel warmness in my hair and I put my hand to my head and when I took it away, my palm was covered in scarlet blood.  I ignored it and carried on walking, but ten minutes later the blood was streaming down from my hair onto my cheeks and into my eyes.  I stopped and took my sopping cardigan off, folded it once and then tied it tightly around my head in an attempt to stop the bleeding.  I kept the _Nemesis_ to my right as I headed to the left.  I took in the surroundings as I walked.  There were ice cliffs on every side and as far as the eye could see.  The ice beneath me was thick enough to walk on and I could see little bubbles every now and then as I walked.  The snow was roughly shin deep and was hard to walk through.  With every step I took it felt like I was dragging lead weights behind me.  My vision started to go blurry and I rubbed my eyes as if I could rub away the blackness.  My heart and soul called out for Optimus, and for the first time since being taken by Knockout, I allowed myself to cry.  I cried for Lucy, my father and the kids.  Most of all I cried for Optimus.  I yearned to hear his gentle voice and feel his tender touch, holding me safely in his giant warm hands.  I fell to my knees in the snow and curled up into the foetal position to try and conserve the little heat that was left in my body.  I disengaged from the reality that surrounded me and retreated to the safety of my own thoughts and memories. 

***

**_ Sky, a week after meeting Optimus and the Autobots  _ **

_I woke up from the best night’s sleep I had had in a long time in my most favourite way; slowly and deliciously.  It was my first night in my new bed that Optimus had acquired for me yesterday.  It was a big double bed with a soft, comfy mattress.  My wrist was in the pale blue cast and was throbbing lightly, but not causing me unbearable pain.  My ride with Arcee yesterday had been amazing and exhilarating.  We had sped down the dirt road and I had relished the feeling of the wind on my face and in my hair.  I turned over to look for Optimus and he was across the room from me and seemed to be concentrating immensely hard on something.  I studied him whilst his back was to me, marvelling once more at his colossal size.  He had informed me that he was 32 feet tall, an amazing 27 feet taller than me.  I had asked him if carrying me around the base all the time bothered him, and he had responded with a chuckle and said my weight in his hand was so little that he barely even noticed it.  I had yet to see a proper demonstration of his strength, but only yesterday when we had been on top of the silo watching the sunset, he had stepped on a huge boulder and crushed it beneath his foot as if it was nothing more than a snail shell.  When I had looked at him with an awed expression on my face, his answering smile was sheepish and he looked embarrassed._

_‘This is why I have to carry you around the base Sky.  You are so small and fragile…I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you.’  Even though I had only known Optimus for a week, we had already developed a strong bond, and he was extremely protective of me, never leaving my side.  My throat thickened and my vision went glassy with the moisture that was suddenly present in my eyes.  I smiled at Optimus and hugged myself to his thumb._

_Bringing my mind back to the present, I hopped off of the bed and draped the dressing gown that Optimus had so kindly provided around my shoulders.  Optimus turned as I walked toward the edge of the platform that my bed was on, a platform that also doubled as Optimus’s ‘bedside table.’  He walked over with a broad smile upon his face and offered me his palm.  I smiled at his gentlemanly manner and sat down tentatively in his proffered palm, shuffling all the way back until I could wrap my good arm around his thumb.  He carried me over to the kitchen area and deposited me on the floor by the kitchen counter.  I saw for myself what he had been concentrating so immensely on and turned around to look at him with a huge smile on my face.  His own face was wary, his eyebrows raised in anticipation.  I looked at the sight before me and couldn’t help giggling._

_‘You made me breakfast?  That is so thoughtful, thank you Optimus.’  He shrugged and I noticed a very faint circle of blue appearing on both of his cheeks._

_‘You are most welcome Sky, whilst you were in recharge I took the liberty of searching the Internet for some nutritional information as I am worried that you haven’t been receiving the appropriate amount of nutrients since you have been in my care.  I do not want to be responsible for any nutritional or digestive disorders.  I learned that you should have three balanced meals a day, so I started your day with a breakfast high in carbohydrates and for lunch you can have something high in protein and energy.’  I smiled at this little speech, trying not to laugh.  I sat down at the little table that Optimus had provided and proceeded to eat what Optimus had prepared for me.  He clearly hadn’t researched portion sizes on the Internet, as the portion that lay before me was a whole loaf of wholemeal bread, complete with butter._

_‘I don’t think I will be able to manage this whole loaf Optimus, is that alright?’  My nature to question everything came out automatically from years of asking my father if it was okay to do something or not.  Optimus raised his eyebrows in surprise and reached for me.  He took me carefully in his enormous hands, bringing me close to his noble face._

_‘Sky, why did you ask me if it was okay?  Of course it is okay little one.  Why would you think otherwise?’  Optimus’s question disarmed me and I squirmed uncomfortably in his palm.  I looked down at my hands, twisting my fingers together until Optimus’s index finger gently tilted my face upwards so I was look him directly in the eye._

_‘I’m sorry, I’m just so used to seeking approval, I just ask automatically.’  My voice was barely above a whisper, my eyes filling with moisture as I spoke.  As the convulsions began to shake their way through my body, Optimus walked over to his berth and laid down on it, placing me on his chest.  He held me while I cried, his engines humming softly whilst he rubbed soothing circles into my back with his thumb.  He did not pressure me to speak, but offered me solid, silent comfort.  I curled myself into the shape of his hand, seeking the safety and security that he brought.  His fingers curled slowly around me, his index finger lingering softly on my cheek.  My emotions were intense after getting my stuff from Dad’s yesterday.  I kept replaying the scene in my mind, the sickening crunch of Agent Fowler’s nose as it erupted in a gush of scarlet blood, dad twisting my wrist the wrong way in his strong grasp, and then Optimus.  Optimus, who had taken me away from it all and become a beacon of safety.  Optimus, whom I had known for little over a week, but who I trusted more than I had ever trusted anyone, even Charlie.  My breathing slowed and calmed, and Optimus wiped the last of my tears away with the back of his other hand.  His face was full of worry and concern, his eyebrows raised.  I cleared my throat before I spoke.  ‘I am so sorry Optimus, you shouldn’t have had to see that.  I-‘  Optimus cut me off by placing one of his immense fingers over my lips._

_‘Sky.’  His deep voice managed to convey so much emotion and meaning into my name, it took my breath away.  ‘You have absolutely **nothing** to be sorry for.  What I see before me is a remarkably strong young woman who has had unspeakable things done to her and who just needed a moment to lean on someone else.  **Never** be sorry or ashamed for that Sky, you are far too precious to waste your feelings on such insecurities as those.’  Optimus’s words washed over me like the waves upon a beach as I struggled to comprehend them.  I smiled weakly and leant back into his fingers.  _

_‘Thank you Optimus, it means so much to hear that.  It’s just I’m so used to seeking everybody’s approval.  And when someone shows me true, undiluted kindness like you have…well, I’m not used it, and it’s all just so overwhelming.’  Optimus smiled and shifted so that his left arm was tucked underneath his head._

_‘I understand little one.  Let me promise you this; I will never let anyone hurt you ever again.  Not as long as I am here to protect you.  Now, would you like a coodle?’ I raised my eyebrows in confusion.  Optimus looked at me expectantly, smiling broadly._

_‘I’m sorry Optimus, what do you mean?’  My mood was lighter now and I struggled not to laugh as I asked what he meant._

_‘I mean exactly what I say Sky.  Would you like a coodle?’  I didn’t answer but smiled at him earnestly._

_‘I honestly don’t know what you mean Optimus, I’m sorry.’  I was smiling as I spoke.  Optimus looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face._

_‘I do not understand.  I learned on the Internet that humans embrace with other humans when they are upset or celebrating something.  It is commonly called a ‘coodle.’  The way he said it was so serious and indignant that I couldn’t help but burst out laughing._

_‘Oh Optimus, you are right.’  I said between bouts of laughter.  ‘But it’s not called a ‘coodle’ but it’s called a ‘cuddle.’  And yes please, I would love a cuddle.’  Optimus grinned at me widely and pulled me further up his chest._

_‘Come here little one.’  Optimus reached for me and his whole left hand moved to surround me so that I was cupped securely within it.  His thumb stroked my cheek softly whilst his index finger gently caressed my hair.  I leant into his tender touch, letting a small smile slide onto my face.  Optimus returned my smile and sighed contentedly._

_‘Optimus, this is a silly question, but do you breathe?’  Optimus chuckled and sat up slightly, holding me a little more securely so he wouldn’t jostle me too much._

_‘I can breathe Sky, but not in the same sense as humans do.  I filter air in and out of my vents so that the impurities within the atmosphere do not interfere with my internal cooling system.  I also require air from my surroundings to maintain my core engine temperature.  I only need to do this every half of a solar cycle though.’  I looked at him, taking in his words._

_‘Half a solar cycle?’  Optimus smiled and shifted slightly underneath me._

_‘My apologies little one.  A solar cycle is a day, or twenty-four hours.  I have to cycle the air through my vents and filter out the impurities every twelve hours.’_

_‘Oh okay.  I like you say ‘solar cycle.’  It sounds so much better than ‘day.’  More poetic somehow.’  My stomach then decided that it would be appropriate to emit a thunderous rumble.  Optimus shook his head with a small smile on his face._

_‘I think it will take me some time to become accustomed to the strange noises that your internal assemblage makes.’  I laughed, remembering the first time my stomach had rumbled in front of Optimus and how he had thought I was ‘malfunctioning.’ ‘Come and eat your morning meal Sky.  I will keep you company whilst you eat.’  He set me down in the kitchen area and I sat back down at the small table and proceeded to eat my giant breakfast._

_***_

** Present Time  **

Despite my situation and surroundings, I found it within myself to smile at the memory.  My body had stopped shivering a while ago, and I was _so_ tired.  I just wanted to sleep.  My vision was going slowly and the sounds around me grew slow and deep.  I found the energy to utter one last sentence before I gave in to sleep.

‘I love you, Optimus Prime.’

***

** Optimus POV – Present Time  **

My Spark is protesting furiously as we make our way towards _The Nemesis,_ where it has crash landed five clicks north of our current position.  My thermometer tells me it is currently -10°C; a relatively warm day for the Arctic.  We pick our way quickly through the snow, which comes just up to the sides of my feet; it is about two feet deep by human standards.  On Sky’s tiny 5’0” frame it is most likely to come up to her shins, which worries me.  When she was taken by Knockout she was still in the clothes that she had worn to court; a black dress, tights, heels and a small thin cardigan.  That apparel will not offer her adequate protection from the cold weather.  Her absence is physically impacting on me and I am surprised by that fact.  My Spark is pulsing furiously against my Spark chamber, demanding her presence.  Since becoming a Prime all those eons ago, I have become extremely adept at controlling my emotions.  I can emotionally detach myself from situations such as battle so as to safeguard the lives of my fellow soldiers.  I care deeply for all of my Autobots and would do anything for any one of them without question.  But Sky…our relationship is something I struggle to understand, and that concept is thoroughly alien to me.  Our relationship is not romantic, as my feelings for her are purely platonic.  Our bond is the strongest bond that I have ever had in my life with _anyone_ , even my former mentor Alpha Trion.  I calibrate my scanners so they will pick up Sky’s heat signature as soon as she is within range.  I let part of my processor wander into the past and placate my Spark a little with memories of Sky.

**_ Optimus POV – a week after meeting Sky (memory)  _ **

_Sky’s breathing is slow and steady as she sleeps soundly.  Her broken wrist is dressed in a pale blue cast, resting on her abdomen.  Her black hair is spread out on the pillow and ripples around her.  She is so tiny, I cannot get over how tiny she is.  Her heart rate has slowed down now that she is in the state of sleep.  I call upon my memory banks for the incident that occurred earlier this afternoon.  When I rushed into her house and saw her father pressing her against the wall, the frantic thrum of her heart and the fear in her eyes.  It made me so **angry.** Anger is an emotion that I have not had to deal with for many eons.  Anger left my Spark the day that Megatron became a Decepticon. _

_I am interrupted from my thoughts by a soft tap on my doors._

_‘Yes?’ I inquire._

_‘Optimus.  It’s Ratchet, I have come to evaluate Sky’s physical condition.’_

_‘Come in old friend, she is asleep but I am sure that you can scan her without waking her.’  Ratchet enters my quarters and nods in agreement.  He scans her and nods, clearly satisfied with his findings._

_‘She is fine.  She just needs to sleep and rest.’  I nod and turn my gaze back to her.  ‘May I speak frankly Optimus?’  I turn and look at Ratchet in surprise._

_‘Of course Ratchet, you do not need to ask if you wish to speak about matters that are pressing on your Spark.’  Ratchet hesitates before he speaks._

_‘Are you sure taking her in is the best decision?  Humans are fragile Optimus…so easily breakable.  Just look at what happened today.’  I cycle air through my vents and turn to face Ratchet._

_‘I appreciate your concern old friend, but she needs looking after.  She is only nineteen years of age and has already suffered so many hardships in her short life.  I wish to stop those hardships and serve as a confidant and friend to her.  I feel extremely protective of her, and I already know I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.’_

_‘I realise that Optimus…but I don’t want you to get hurt.  I care for you, not only as my Prime and leader but also as a friend.  It isn’t that I don’t trust her, I do.  I sense an innate goodness within her.  But I will not question your judgement Optimus.  I have work to do.  Goodnight Optimus.’  I smile and watch him as he goes.  Ratchet has always been…the more cynical of my companions.  His concern often comes through in a brusque and gruff manner, but his Spark is ALWAYS in the right place.  I would trust Ratchet with my own Spark, and I know in time he will fully come to accept Sky into our little family.  She is already part of mine._

** Optimus POV – Present Time  **

I stop the trail of data coming from my memory banks as my scanners detect Sky’s heat signature.  I engage my telescopic vision and zoom in on her position.  I pick up my pace and break into a run.  She has managed to get two clicks away from _The Nemesis,_ but I can see vehicons patrolling in the background. 

‘Arcee, Bulkhead.  Engage the vehicons.  Bumblebee, flank my position.’  My Autobots do as they are bid and I hear Arcee’s light footsteps and Bulkhead’s heavy ones move away.  Bumblebee moves into position behind me and also breaks into a run in order to keep up with me.  ‘Bumblebee, we need to get there quickly.  She must have her temperature increased as soon as possible.’  Bumblebee beeps in response and we pick up our pace. We get to her quickly, and as I bend down to pick her up, I hear Bumblebee arm himself.  I pay no mind to the approaching vehicons, knowing that Bumblebee is more than able to deal with them.  Within two astro-clicks, they have been extinguished.  I cradle Sky to my chest and my Spark hums happily, content that she is in proximity once more.  Her dress is saturated with snow which has melted through to her skin.  A quick scan tells me she has three fractured ribs, a broken wrist and a hairline fracture on her skull.  She has wrapped her cardigan around her head, on which I detect the chemical scent of her blood.  I send heat to the hand she is in, warming her one degree at a time so that the blood does not rush back too quickly to her heart.

‘Ratchet, send a Groundbridge.  Sky needs urgent treatment.’  Less than a second later, the glowing green vortex appears, and I step through it.  Arcee and Bulkhead disengage with the other vehicons and follow my lead.  Bumblebee is the last to come through the Groundbridge.  Once we are back at base, Ratchet shuts off the Groundbridge and comes over to me, holding his hands out for Sky.  I carefully hand her over and Ratchet begins treatment.

‘Optimus, send for Nurse Darby.  I am going to need human assistance.’ 


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this, please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

Arcee activates the Groundbridge for Nurse Darby to drive through.  Sky is on Ratchet’s work top in a hospital bed.  We have relived her of her wet clothes and Agent Fowler’s jacket is draped over her, along with one of Miko’s heavy duty blankets.  Her heart rate is currently at 36 beats per minute.  I hover nervously over her, watching as Ratchet and June work on her.  She is shivering, her skin almost a blue colour.  Nurse Darby takes the scarf that she is wearing and wraps it gently around Sky’s neck and head.  Her hair is sticky with blood and bruises are already beginning to form on her tiny body.  Ratchet covers her with another blanket and also places a pillow under her head and his finger lingers gently on her cheek.

‘We need to increase her core body temperature as soon as possible, she’s hypothermic.  Optimus, massage her arms and legs, gently.  We need to stimulate the blood flow.’  I immediately set to work on her tiny arms.  Even to my own metal skin, they are cold to the touch.  Normally she is so soft and warm, but right now she feels like a block of ice.  Nurse Darby sets up a cannula in her left arm and administers rehydration fluid through the intravenous tube.  I rub her arms gently between my finger and thumb, sending heat to my fingers to try and increase her temperature, degree by degree.  Nurse Darby is fumbling with something under the blankets and I look down at her quizzically.

‘Nurse Darby, do you require assistance with anything?’  Nurse Darby is in full medic mode, and has none of her usual shyness when she addresses me.

‘I need to take off her clothes; they are wet and are slowing up the re-heating process.’  I nod wordlessly and slip my fingers under the blankets that are covering Sky.  ‘Optimus, you can leave her underwear on if you want…it won’t really make a difference either way.’  I nod again and feel for the fragile fabric of her dress between my fingers.  In one quick tug it is ripped and I pull it gently off over her legs.  Next come her tights.  Her skin is almost a pale blue colour, and her ribs have the most horrendous looking bruises on them.  She is full of lacerations; and as I see these injuries I feel the anger rising within me.  How _dare_ they hurt my little one!  Nurse Darby is on hand to receive the clothes from me and also has some woollen pyjamas; the traditional blue and white striped ones.  ‘Optimus, can you gently sit her up?’  I slip one hand behind Sky and gently manipulate her into a sitting position.  She is still unconscious as Nurse Darby deftly puts the pyjama top on her and buttons it up.  I put the trousers on myself, pulling them up quickly so her skin isn’t bare for any longer than is necessary.  I wrap her burrito style in the two blankets and push her hair gently off of her face.  Nurse Darby is attending to her head wound and dressing it.  Ratchet starts a diagnostic scan and I wordlessly watch as it reveals her injuries; a hairline fracture in her skull, three broken ribs and her left wrist is broken again.  Nurse Darby finishes dressing her head wound and sets up yet another cannula, this time for a morphine drip.  She sees my worried expression and reassures me gently.  ‘It will kick in soon Optimus, probably before she even regains consciousness.  She won’t be in unbearable pain; she will just feel a little achy and uncomfortable.’ 

Suddenly, her body starts to quiver and shake.  I look up at Ratchet in alarm, but he shows no reason to fear.

‘It’s normal Optimus; it is her body’s physiological functions attempting to increase her core body temperature; she just needed a little help.’  Nurse Darby steps back and appraises Sky with her practised nurses’ eye. 

‘Ratchet, I think our work here is done.  She’ll need to have hourly observations and be monitored whilst she’s on the morphine.  She needs to be kept dry and warm, but right now the best thing for her is to rest.  Don’t worry Optimus, she will regain consciousness when she is ready.’  Ratchet nods in agreement and offers his hand to Nurse Darby and she steps on shyly.  He lowers her to the floor where she then gathers up her handbag.  ‘Optimus, if it is okay I will sleep on the sofa bed in your quarters; I’d like to be nearby in case Sky needs any immediate medical attention.  I will just go and freshen up and then I’ll meet you in your quarters.’  I nod again, the power of speech seeming to have deserted me.  Ratchet gently picks up Sky’s bed off of his worktop and hands it to me, along with the poles that the rehydration fluid and morphine drip are attached to. 

Once we are back in my quarters, I place her on the platform beside my berth and kiss her gently on the cheek.  Her temperature is slowly increasing and is no longer critical.  Her breathing is steady and her heart beat strong.  I feel my Spark relax for the first time in three days and let the air out of my vents in belated relief.  My little one is home, and I will never let them touch her again. 

***

** Sky POV  **

** Unconscious – Conversation with Alpha Trion **

‘Sky.  How are you feeling?’  I once more heard Alpha Trion’s regal voice echoing around me and I gently lowered myself into a sitting position on his hand.

‘Rough Alpha Trion.  I feel very rough.’  He chuckled gently and appraised me with his optics. 

‘Well done for disabling _The Nemesis,_ that took a lot of control to use the right amount of energy.’  I was tired, and I wanted the one person who I hadn’t yet seen.

‘Alpha Trion, please.  Where am I?  Am I back at Autobot headquarters?  Where is Optimus?’

‘Patience young one.  Now, I am going to aid you in regaining consciousness.  One, two, and three…’

***

 

My eyes opened slowly, black spots dancing around in my field of vision.  The first thing I set my gaze upon was Optimus’s face.  I felt a strange sort of warmth flow through me and I weakly raised up my arms to him.  His gaze was full of relief and he wore his gentle smile.  He came right down close; his optics misting over slightly.  He nuzzled me softly with his helm, his metal lips brushing over every inch of my face.  I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my side and arm my arm. 

‘Easy little one, easy.  I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.’  It was such a relief to hear his voice again, and I didn’t bother to try and stop the tears from flowing.  I touched his face, resting my hands on his cheek as best I could with all the tubes that were stuck into my left arm.  I noticed that my left wrist had been dressed in a hard blue cast, much neater than the first one I had had, that felt so long ago. 

‘I love you Optimus.’

‘Oh my darling girl.  I love you too Sky, I always have and I always will.  I am so, so sorry.’  That made me pull back.

‘Optimus, why are you sorry?’

‘Had I been there to protect you; this might not have happened.  Agent Fowler wouldn’t have concussion, you wouldn’t be broken before me and Lucy…Lucy would still be with us.’  Despite the sombre mood, I tried to fix him with my most disapproving stare.

‘Don’t you DARE blame yourself; nobody could have seen this coming.  Not even Alpha Trion-‘. At these words, his head snapped up.

‘Did you say ‘Alpha Trion’?’ I was about to answer when his optics widened and his mouth formed a perfect ‘o’. 

‘What?  What is it?’  My voice was panicky, and I reached out for him once more.

‘Sky, your eyes.  They have changed colour!’  Of all the things I expected him to say, it certainly wasn’t _that._  At my confused expression, he proceeded to snap off his own wing mirror and handed it to me.  The face that stared back at me was swollen and discoloured with multiple bruises.  I didn’t notice the big white bandage on my head, or the split in my left eyebrow.  The thing that was most prominent, were my eyes.  A stranger’s eyes stared back at me.  They were a blue-green colour.  At the pupil they were the same colour as Optimus’s optics, before darkening to a greener colour at the edges.  No longer could I see the chocolate brown eyes I had had since childhood.  They had been replaced by these beautiful, alien coloured eyes.  I looked up at Optimus, wide eyed and panicked.  He studied me for a few seconds, then shook his head as if confused.  I pushed myself slightly up in bed with my good arm, my movement restricted slightly by the various tubes that were sticking out of me.  At that moment, Ratchet came in, carrying June in his left hand.  He placed June upon the platform beside Optimus’s berth that I was currently on and she made her way over to me in full nurse mode.  She shined a light in my eyes and it was a little too bright, making my eyes well up with reflexive tears. 

‘Easy Sky.  Can you tell me what day it is?’ I screwed up my face in concentration as I thought about her question.

‘Umm...Friday?’  June laughed quietly and turned her light off.

‘Good try Sky, it is Monday today.  You’ve been unconscious for fifteen hours.’  I felt my mouth form into a large ‘o’.

‘Fifteen hours?!’  I sat up rapidly and immediately regretted that decision; my blood pounding loudly in my ears.  June pushed me back gently so that I was laying down again. 

‘Relax; it was a drug assisted unconsciousness.  You would have been in too much pain to be fully conscious.  Your morphine drip will sort out any pain you are in.  The morphine will make you feel very drowsy and you may have some mild hallucinations.’  I nodded and absent-mindedly scratched the back of my left hand where the cannula had been inserted. 

‘Is there any way that I can become addicted to the morphine?  I don’t want to become dependent on it.’  June chuckled quietly and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my right ear. 

‘No sweetie.  The dosage is a fixed one and cannot be exceeded for a certain amount of time.’

‘Okay.  Am I allowed a drink?  I am so thirsty.’  June nodded and handed me a small glass of water.  I swigged it appreciatively and set the empty glass on the bed-side table.    

‘Right.  I think you are okay Sky.  Your reflexes are a little sluggish, and you have concussion, but Ratchet is more than capable of meeting your medical needs.  Are you okay if I go home for the night?  If you need me for anything, just call me.’  I nodded.

‘Thank you so much June, I really appreciate it.’  She leaned down and gave me a hug, careful not to squeeze my ribs too tightly and planted a kiss on the top of my head.

‘Oh it’s not a problem sweetie; you know I think of you as my own.’  I smiled at her as she stepped on to Optimus’s proffered palm. 

‘I second that thanks Nurse Darby; you and Ratchet saved my little one’s life.’

‘Oh Optimus.  Please call me June!  You know I would do anything for a member of my family.’  She said, winking at us both.  Optimus slowly lowered her to the floor and she made her way briskly out of his quarters.  Ratchet approached me then, touching a finger lightly to my forehead.  I saw his optics widen when my eyes looked up to his face, and his head snapped up to look at Optimus; who looked back at him with an equally quizzical expression written upon his face. 

‘Optimus, Ratchet.  I need to tell you both something.  I think it would be best if you both sat down.’  Ratchet scoffed to himself.

‘I hardly think that is necessary, we Autobots have flawless equilibrium circuits.’  I didn’t mention the time that Arcee said she was dizzy. 

‘I know Ratchet, but you are quite high up and it hurts my neck to look up all the time.’  At my words, Optimus drew up two of the steel containers that littered the base and motioned for Ratchet to sit down as he sat on the one closest to me.  Ratchet did so, a little begrudgingly.  Once they were both sat down, I adjusted my cannula so it wouldn’t tangle when I was talking – I was a hand talker and waved them quite vigorously when I was trying to explain something.  ‘Optimus already knows a little bit about this; so I will tell you Ratchet.  It has to do with these ‘bursts’ that I have been experiencing.’  Ratchet said nothing but looked at Optimus worriedly.  Optimus looked at me kindly, encouraging me silently to continue.  I took a deep breath before I began speaking again.

‘This first time something to do with these energy bursts occurred was a few months ago.  Optimus, do you remember when I had that nightmare?’  Optimus nodded, his eyebrows coming down to form a little frown at the memory.  Ratchet nodded too, looking strangely curious.  ‘The nightmare was a warning from someone.  This someone said he had summoned me to him to speak with me from across the ages; he had to warn me of what was coming.  I was instantly defensive, I wanted to know why he wanted to know so much about Optimus and me.  He reassured me that he meant no harm, and then proceeded to show me an image or vision; whatever you want to call it.  That vision was what made me wake up the way I did.  I won’t explain it in great detail…I’ll get too upset, but basically it was Optimus telling me to run before he…’ I paused and took another deep breath, breaking my gaze from both of their faces.  ‘Before he died.  After that, the vision faded and the speaker told me that we would meet again soon.  As the weeks went by, I forgot all about him and I pushed the vision to the back of my mind.  The next energy burst I experienced was on the day of my father’s hearing…just a few days ago…or weeks.  I’ve lost track of the time for the moment.  Anyway, this time it was in the form of a huge electric shock between Optimus and me.  Optimus of course scanned me straight away and found nothing wrong other than a slightly elevated heart rate.  Then I forgot about it until we got to the courtroom.  Dad then smashed through the witness box and went straight for Optimus.  All that was going through my head was the fact that I _knew_ I had get to Optimus before my father did.  As I made my way to him, this energy exploded from my body and lifted me off of the ground.  I came face to face with the speaker again, though this time I was able to see him.  I could see that he was definitely Cybertronian.  He told me his name.’  I stopped for a moment, looking at Optimus and Ratchet to try and gauge their reactions.  I took what felt like was the millionth deep breath I had taken since I had regained consciousness.  ‘He told me his name was Alpha Trion.’  Ratchet stood up when he heard this. 

‘ALPHA TRION!?  THE CHIEF ARCHIVIST?’  The monstrous volume of his voice made me jump a little, and Optimus shot Ratchet a stern look.  ‘Please forgive me, you just took me by surprise.  You say you spoke to Alpha Trion?’  I nodded.

‘Yes.  He said he was speaking to me from across the ages and that he had to tutor me in my abilities with the energy.  He told me that the energy lives within me and it is akin to Spark energy, but it is not actually Spark energy.  He said that it has been living within me for my whole life and meeting Optimus was the catalyst that was needed for the energy to manifest itself.’  Here I stopped and looked at Optimus, who had a concerned expression on his face.  I gave him a small smile to show him that I was okay and he rested his finger gently on my stomach and I latched on with both hands.  ‘He also said that this energy has the potential to kill me, so I must use it wisely.  With time, I will be able to control it properly and yield it to my will.  Alpha Trion said that you would be able to help me Optimus.’

‘Of course little one, I will do all that I can to help you.’  I smiled at him appreciatively and squeezed his finger tightly. 

‘I have to use the appropriate amount of energy so that it doesn’t affect me too much.  That’s why I fainted in the courtroom; I used too much energy too quickly and my body needed time to recover.  Alpha Trion also told me that he can only speak to me in my unconscious state of mind.’

‘Sky, I understand all of what you have told us, but there is one thing I am still struggling to comprehend.  What is the point of you having this ‘energy’ as you call it?  Will it aid us in our struggles with the Decepticons?’  I paused before I answered Ratchet’s question.

‘Alpha Trion told me that the energy’s purpose is to…is to protect Optimus.’  At this, Optimus’ optics widened in surprise as did Ratchet’s.

‘I am not against that sentiment…but why would the energy need to protect Optimus?’ Ratchet’s tone of voice was confused and his optics were dilating, something that didn’t happen often for Ratchet. 

I sighed.

‘Because…without Optimus…Cybertron can never be fully restored.’


	22. Chapter Twenty One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this, please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read! ♥

To say the leader of the Decepticons was in a bad mood would be the understatement of the century.  Megatron was standing on the observation deck of _The Nemesis,_ looking out at the night sky and relishing in the brief vacuum of silence.  His Spark was weighed down heavily by the loss of his human hostage.  How could he, the mighty and powerful Lord Megatron, have been overpowered by a tiny and unimportant human?  His processor struggled to understand the many different aspects of the situation.  Knockout had stumbled on her by pure chance, and had had the inclination to take the human female and bring her back to the ship.  Then, discovering that this stupid, insignificant _insect_ was the source of the Spark like energy signature?  Energy like that had not been detected since Cybertron’s Golden Age.  Megatron shook his head, as if trying to clear the thoughts physically from his processor.  Such a thing was not possible without defragmentation.  Megatron rubbed his audio receptors, having a bit of a private facepalm moment.

Fighting this fragging war was _so_ tiring, but Megatron’s pride would never let the war end until Optimus Prime and his accursed Autobots had been vanquished.  Megatron recalled how tenderly his former _brother_ (he mentally sneered the word) had picked up the tiny human female, as if she was a precious Sparkling. Clearly the female was the Prime’s one weakness, and Megatron planned to exploit it for all that it was worth.  The sacred silence was interrupted by a familiar and highly irritating voice. 

‘Lord Megatron—‘  Megatron did not give Knockout a chance to finish before he spun around at incredible speed and grabbed Knockout by the throat, pushing him so that the upper half of his body was over the edge of _The Nemesis’_ observation deck.  Knockout’s optics widened and his hands moved to grasp at Megatron’s arms.  ‘Megatron, I—‘

‘SILENCE!  You will speak only when spoken to, is that understood?’  Knockout nodded and Megatron detected his Spark rate increase ever so slightly.  ‘Good.  It is your fault we lost the human vermin, had you been able to operate the cortical psychic patch correctly, I would not have needed to speak to her alone!  You are an incompetent fool Knockout.’  Megatron released his squirming medic and threw him a generous distance across the observation deck.  Knockout got to his feet, his equilibrium circuits a little out of sync with the rest of his body.

‘Lord Megatron, I implore you to listen to me.  While you were with the female, I took it upon myself to peruse the other human’s private files on his cellular device.’  Megatron rolled his optics at this statement.

‘And why in the pits of Kaon do you think I would care about that?’ 

‘Because, Lord Megatron, I have found something that is of great interest.  It concerns the human female.’

‘Enlighten me Knockout.  Quickly.’

***

** Autobot Outpost Omega One  **

It had now been a full forty-eight hours since Optimus had brought me back from the Arctic.  I was sitting up in bed, my ribs protesting slightly but not giving me unbearable pain.  My left wrist was aching dully, but I was able to ignore it as if it was some annoying white noise.  Ratchet had discerned that the cause of my eye colour change was due to the energy that was present within me.  As I waited for Optimus to return from his debrief with Agent Fowler, I allowed my mind to wander into yesterday.

.O

 ‘Sky, humans’ eyes don’t just change colour.  I need to do a few tests on you to ascertain what the cause of the colour change is.’  I sighed.  I still felt rough from yesterday and was reeling from Lucy’s death, and I was a little annoyed at Ratchet for wanting to prod and poke me when all I wanted to do was cuddle up with Optimus and go to sleep.  I pushed myself up in bed and shuffled to the edge of the mattress and on to Optimus’s proffered hand.  I shivered when I touched the cool metal and I instantaneously felt the heat spread beneath me as Optimus sent warmth to that particular surface.  That was another thing that amazed me about the Autobots; they could send heat to any surface of their body.  It came in very handy if we were some where cold.  Optimus moved to sit on his berth, his fingers moving to mould perfectly to the shape of my body. He held me in such a way so that Ratchet could access me easily. Before Optimus allowed Ratchet to start prodding and poking me, he pulled the blanket from my bed and draped it gently around my shoulders, keeping the cold air off of my skin.  Ratchet then knelt so that he was roughly at eye level with me and also with Optimus’s knees. From the tip of his finger, a tiny needle emerged. Ratchet had taken the liberty of making such changes to his tools after my first energy attack. He gently pricked my index finger to get some blood and then tipped my face up so that I was looking him directly in the optic.

‘Follow my light Sky.’

I didn’t respond but followed the tip of Ratchet’s finger as it moved from the left and then to the right.  He repeated this twice more before analysing the blood sample he had taken from my finger.  His optics flickered for a second as he analysed the sample, and then he wiped it off the tip of his finger with the back of his left hand.

‘Hmm.  That sample had no anomalies in it that I am concerned about.  Sky, may I take a three-dimensional picture of your oculus?’  I hesitated before looking up at Optimus, the words ‘three’ and ‘dimensional’ were worrying me a bit.

‘Don’t you need the whole eye to do that?’  My voice broke a little as I swallowed loudly, trying and failing to remain calm.  To my surprise, Ratchet laughed at me gently and ruffled my hair with one finger.

‘Heheh, not at all Sky.  I just need an image of the oculus and everything within it, from that image I will be able to construct a three dimensional one; I will even project it for you if you wish to see it.’  Ratchet’s words reassured me, and I shuffled forwards on Optimus’s palm so that Ratchet could take the picture with relative ease.  Ratchet looked at me for a moment before offering his hand to me.  When I didn’t step on, he gently wrapped his fingers around me and lifted me easily from Optimus’s palm.  Optimus stood as I rose up in Ratchet’s hand, his own hovering just behind.  ‘By the AllSpark Optimus, I am not going to drop her.  By all means, you are welcome to observe.’  Optimus said nothing but followed Ratchet as he moved to be directly underneath one of the halogen lights that was hanging from the ceiling.  ‘Sit up as straight and as still as you can.  I promise you this won’t hurt, but you will see a flash and you may experience some reflexive tears.’  I nodded and did as he said, using his thumb to push myself up into a kneeling position and also to keep myself as still as possible.  Ratchet leaned in so close that his nose almost touched my forehead, and then I heard his optics gently whizzing as he accessed his telescopic vision and zoomed in on my eye.  Three clicks and a subtle flash later, it was finished.  Optimus held his palm out for me and Ratchet deposited me gently into it.  I resumed my usual position on Optimus’s palm; sitting on my legs with my right arm hooked around his thumb.  Ratchet took a few steps back, and then an image that was the same colour as his optics projected from them. 

A cube emanated from his optics, filled with thousands of smaller cubes that made up the one giant cube.  Inside the cube, was a perfect spherical shape with various different parts within it.  I could not identify any of the parts, but Ratchet seemed to know what he was talking about, so I was perfectly content just to sit on Optimus’s hand and listen.

‘Here you can see a three dimensional image of your oculus.  At the front, you can see the cornea; that is the lumpy section that is projected outwards ever so slightly; and then you have the iris.  Behind that, you have your lens.  At the top and bottom ends of your lens, you have what we call zonules.  The outside of the eyeball is known as the sclera-‘

‘Ratchet?’  My voice was two octaves higher than usual as I hesitantly interrupted him.  ‘I don’t really need a lesson in the anatomy of my eyeball…if you could tell me the reason for the colour change…that would be great.’  I hid behind my hair as I spoke, not wanting to ignite Ratchet’s infamous short temper.  I felt Optimus’s hand shake gently beneath me with the rumble of his quiet chuckle.  Ratchet huffed.

‘Very well.  Rafael would appreciate this.’  I struggled not to smile as he continued with his explanation. 

‘As I was saying, the external part of your oculus is known as the sclera.  What we are interested in in your case is obviously the change in eye colour.  People with brown eyes have a fairly high concentration of melanin in the stroma of the iris.  Blue eyed people have relatively low colours of melanin; which explains the difference in colour.  The reason for the brownish-black colour of your old eye colour was due to the presence of the melanin.  Unfortunately, I do not possess an image of your oculus before the colour change, so we have nothing to compare it to.  But if you look here,’ Ratchet indicated to the iris and then some small patches appeared on it.  ‘These patches are the melanin that is now present in your stroma.  The likelihood is we would have seen many more ‘patches’ on your brown eyes.  The high concentration of melanin that was previously present helped to absorb both long and short wavelengths of light.  I surmise that your eyes have reduced their concentration in melanin as a protective measure.’

I sat in Optimus’s palm and rubbed my eyes subconsciously, trying to process what he had just said.

‘As a protective measure?  What do you mean by that?  The energy has never come out of my eyes…it has come out of my whole body…’ I let my voice trail off, looking up at Ratchet for an answer.  He seemed to hesitate before he spoke again.

‘That thought had occurred to me as well Sky.  It may be protection for a way in which your energy has not presented itself yet.  Perhaps it is in preparation for something yet to come.’

I frowned as Ratchet’s words sank in.  Something yet to come?  How else could my energy or power…whatever the hell it was, manifest itself in any other way than it already had?

‘Ratchet, is there any way that you can predict energy attacks that she will have, or the manner in which they will manifest themselves?’ 

Optimus’s voice was full of concern and fear, his fingers tightening around me ever so slightly.  Ratchet shook his head sadly.

‘I am not a scholar in magic and folklore Optimus, but in science and fact.  I will do everything in my power to ensure that I can learn all I can about Sky’s condition.’

Optimus nodded as Ratchet turned and left our quarters.

‘Come little one, time for a recharge.’

.O

 I woke up to a gentle thumb stroking my cheek.

‘Easy baby girl.  You were dreaming.  You were quite vocal.’  Optimus’s voice was quiet but reassuring.  I shook my head slowly, trying to get the sleep out of my system.

‘I’m sorry Op, I didn't mean to fall asleep.  How long was I out for?’

‘Oh not long, maybe four hours?’  I looked up at him in shock.

‘Four hours?! Why didn't you wake me sooner?  I—‘  My tirade came to a halt as I saw the sheepish grin making its way onto Optimus’s face.  I thumped his thumb playfully with my good arm.  ‘You're such a tease.’  I mumbled, pretending to sulk.  His eyebrows immediately shot up in concern. 

‘Sky, I did not intend to upset you, I –‘. Now it was his turn to look shocked as I smiled up at him and rubbed his thumb so he knew that I was only joking.  He instantly relaxed and smiled back at me warmly.  ‘If you weren't all in plaster and suffering from numerous injuries, you would be at my mercy for a tickle battle.’  I stuck my tongue out at him, remembering how he had tickled me on New Year’s Eve, his gentle fingers dancing lightly all over my body.

‘What were you dreaming about?  It sounded interesting.’  I raised my eyebrows at him.  What had I said that was so ‘interesting’?  I shrugged and relaxed back against the soft pillows.  I debated with myself for a few seconds, wondering whether or not to tell Optimus the contents of my dream.  Not because I didn't trust him, I trusted him more than I ever had anyone in my whole life, even Charlie, but I was worried that I would cause him concern.  I decided to tell him.

‘Well…I was dreaming about my mother.’  I heard Optimus’s intakes whir in surprise, I think.  He composed his features and knelt to regard me on a closer level.

‘Do you want to talk about it little one?’  I nodded and pushed myself up in bed, wincing slightly as my ribs protested against the movement.

‘It wasn't even a very significant dream…I am just surprised that I had it.  It was more of a memory really, I don't have that dream very often.’  I paused, and Optimus smiled at me gently, silently inviting me to continue.  I took a breath and carried on speaking.  ‘I was with my mum in the kitchen, and I was helping her to bake cookies.  I was sitting on a breakfast bar stool and she was letting me stir the cookie mix and lick the bowl.  She was wearing jeans and a plaid flannel shirt with a blue vest underneath.  She picked me up and hugged me.  She sang me a song…but I can't remember what it was.  And then it just ends there.  I don't know if it even happened.  I haven't seen her since I was four years old…and part of me hates her for leaving me with _that_ man…but the other part of me wants to see her now.  Does she have any other kids?  Is she famous?  Is she even alive?’  I threw my arms up in the air in frustration.  Despite his colossal size, Optimus tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear with ease.  I leaned into his touch, relishing in the sense of safety that he brought.

‘It seems to me that you are subconsciously wondering about your maternal unit…erh your mother.  Naturally you are curious about what she is like now.  I just want to reassure you Sky, everything you are feeling right now is totally valid.  Do not feel guilty about feeling some distaste towards your mother…that is perfectly natural.  I am here for you little one, whatever you need, I will try and fulfil it.’

I just smiled and nestled back into the pillows, falling asleep in his hand’s warm, gentle embrace.

.O

** New York  **

Julia Jenkins sighed, leaning back against the faux leather computer chair she was sitting in.  She massaged her temples in an attempt to combat the migraine that she knew was developing behind her skull.  She startled at a light knock on her office door, and looked up to see her personal assistant Dana scurry in with some sort of hot beverage.

‘Your green tea ma’am.’  Julia said nothing but nodded in thanks as Dana backed out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her.  Julia picked up the steaming mug and let it warm her hands before taking a long draught from it.  The bitter tasting liquid burned as it slipped silkily down her throat and into her stomach.  Green tea was the only thing that held her migraines at bay – at least for a while. 

She glanced at her desktop clock, it said 16:24.  Good enough for her.  Julia stood warily, collected her coat and handbag from the hook on her office door and strolled out through the open door.  She reprimanded herself mentally as she walked for not wearing in her Christian Louboutin shoes before deciding to wear them to work today.  She took the lift down to the ground floor, not wanting to challenge her aching feet any more than they needed to be.  She thought of the big corner bath in her apartment, which had glorious views of Central Park.  She felt a smile slowly work its way onto her face at the thought of a bubble bath, a glass of Pinot Grigio and _P.S. I Love You_ waiting for her once she got home. 

‘See you on Monday Ms Jenkins!’  The bright blonde receptionist was eager and bubbly, and certainly not someone who Julia was in the mood for right now.  She offered her a strained smile before hurrying through the revolving door and making her way to the underground staff parking lot.  Julia fumbled in her bag for her car keys as she walked towards her car, and then came to an abrupt halt.  Confused, she did a three-sixty turn of the whole parking lot; where was her car?  She looked again, but no.  It definitely wasn’t there.  There wasn’t even a note where it had been parked!  Julia swore quietly under her breath.  She didn’t understand how the car could have been stolen, the car lot had security during the working hours and in order to get out, employees had to swipe their ID cards. 

She took out her phone to ring the police when an unpleasant sensation came over her and she turned around.  An extremely attractive man, maybe in his late thirties or early forties was leant against the bonnet of a maroon coloured sports car.  The car’s tires had yellow rims, and ironically enough, the man was wearing a maroon coloured suit, a black shirt and yellow tie.  Not a combination that many could get away with, but Julia had to admit, this man was _hot._  The man had deep brown eyes and mahogany coloured hair.  His features were chiselled, and he had the beginnings of a five o’clock shadow on his chin and jaw.  The man started to walk towards her, and despite his aesthetically pleasing features, Julia subtly reached for the pepper spray in her bag. 

‘Please, forgive me if I startled you, it wasn’t my intention ma’am.’  Julia almost melted right there and then.  His voice was like melted chocolate mixed with honey and some unknown glorious substance.  She struggled to keep a coherent mind.

‘Erh…no.  That’s fine Mister…’  Julia paused, waiting for the handsome stranger to answer her unspoken question.  The man suddenly understood and reached for Julia’s hand.

‘The name’s Dimitri.  Dimitri Schlagen.’  His voice purred over his last name, accentuating it perfectly.  Julia was about to respond, but was taken aback when Dimitri raised her hand to his mouth and planted a gentle kiss on the back of it.  His breath was surprisingly cold, as was his rough-but-soft skin.  Julia tottered in her Louboutins. 

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr Schlagen.  Is your last name German?’  Dimitri nodded, chuckling for some unknown reason.  Julia raised her eyebrows at him.

‘Heheh.  My last name literally translates to ‘Knockout’ in English.  My apologies…erh…Ms…?’  Julia laughed awkwardly as she now had to fill the gap in Dimitri’s sentence. 

‘Ms Jenkins, Julia Jenkins.’  Dimitri nodded and Julia felt awkward as his eyes travelled up and down her body.  She didn’t have the body that had captivated so many men in her early twenties any more, but she still had a certain amount of power over the opposite sex.  Dimitri’s eyes lingered appreciatively over her accentuated curves, slender legs and pert breasts.  She shuffled uncomfortably on the spot as Dimitri spoke again. 

‘Please forgive me Ms Jenkins.  I noticed your lack of transportation; I was here for a conference and I am going as far as Central Park, could I offer you a lift?’  Julia almost laughed at the hilarity of the situation.

‘Actually, that would be perfect.  I live just a block from Central Park.’  Dimitri nodded and moved to the passenger side of his equally sexy car. 

‘Well then, let’s get going shall we?’ 

Julia nodded and folded herself gracefully into the front seat of the car, tossing her bag and coat onto the back seat.

_//Lord Megatron, phase one of the plan is complete.//_


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this, please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

Julia reclined back into the passenger seat of Dimitri Schlagen’s (probably) European sports car.  She marvelled at how the comfy seat seemed to mould perfectly to the contours of her body.  She stretched out her long legs, slipping her feet a little out of her new shoes.  She glanced at Dimitri whilst his gaze was fixed on the road ahead.  His mahogany hair flopped down into his eyes, but was incredibly stylish, and gave his face an even more chiselled appearance.  His jaw was strong, his face angular but graceful.  His eyes were set quite deep into his face and he had a rather prominent nose.  The shirt he wore was pristine without a single crease.  Julia frowned and then shrugged inwardly to herself.  She had had a long day and wasn’t about to wonder why Dimitri Schlagen’s shirt did not have a single crease in it.  They cruised smoothly down the street, Dimitri resting one arm casually on the door. 

Julia leant her head against the head rest and closed her eyes, fingers coming up automatically to massage her temples.  She was pulled from her reverie by a voice that sounded as if it had been forged from velvet. 

“Difficult day?”  Julia opened her eyes to find Dimitri looking squarely at her, an almost hungry look in his eyes.  She laughed and ran a hand through her dark black hair, checking to make sure it hadn’t escaped the chignon that she had carefully wound it into that morning.  

“Difficult?  Not so much difficult as long.  I have a new assistant, she’s great and really kind, but she’s just so eager.  She follows me round like a little lost puppy.”  Dimitri laughed and placed his gaze back onto the road.

“What is so bad about that?  Having a slave…um assistant is my personal idea of heaven.  Someone to buff my finish, that’s what I need.”  Julia stifled a snort and rested her chin on her hand. 

“’Buff your finish’?  Is that a euphemism?”  Dimitri shook his head, seeming to misunderstand her joking tone of voice.

“No – I like to be…I mean I like the car to look good you know?  You never know who you will end up bumping into.  For example, I might bump into a beautiful woman on a dull afternoon in New York City.”

Julia blushed beetroot red and looked down at her knees. 

“You’re very forward for having just met me.  No lady friend waiting at home?”

“No.”  Julia was taken aback by his blunt answer, and she took it to mean that their conversation was over.  They spent the remainder of the journey in an awkward silence, Dimitri drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and humming tunelessly under his breath.  She fiddled with her hands in her lap for a few moments before taking a breath to speak once more.

“Do you mind if I put the radio on?  I love music in the car.”  Dimitri said nothing, just nodded his head ever so slightly.  Julia was about to reach for the knob that switched the radio on when it seemingly turned itself on of its own accord.  “Woah!  Did you see that?”  Dimitri waved his hand non-dismissively. 

“It does that from time to time.  Heheh…sometimes I swear this car has a mind of its own.”  The radio crackled for a bit before settling on a station that was currently playing an opera number.  “Ahh.  Some civilised music for once.  So many stations on this primitive radio device play those loud, obnoxious ‘rock’ songs, and the rest just sound like scraplets being terminated.”  Julia didn’t reply, or bother to ask what a ‘scraplet’ was, but wound down her window just a little.  She was starting to feel rather nauseous and needed the air to get a clear head. 

The car was silent once more, and Julia was grateful when she realised they were only two blocks away from her apartment.

“Dimitri?  Could you drop me off just here please?  I don’t live too far away.  It won’t take me long to walk from here.”  Dimitri looked horrified at her suggestion. 

“Ms Jenkins!  I could never allow a femme to walk home alone when it is within my power to see that she arrives back to her domicile safely.”  Julia said nothing but sighed.  There was a right turn coming up after the next traffic intersection, she would tell him to drop her off outside a random apartment building, walk in and then wait for him to drive away.  She was starting to get an uneasy feeling about Dimitri Schlagen.  She was just about to tell him to take the turn when she noticed he had taken out a long silver rod with a glowing blue tip. 

“What the hell is that?!”  She leaned away from Dimitri, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. 

Dimitri chuckled and the next words he uttered sounded like a cat purring in the sunshine.

“Oh this?  This is a little something I like to call my Energon Rod.  Would you like to have a go?  It’s a very entertaining toy.”  Before he gave Julia the chance to answer, he shoved the rod into her neck.  The last thing Julia saw before she lost consciousness was Dimitri seemingly fading into nothing and the steering wheel turning on its own. 

** Autobot Outpost Omega One  **

After three days of lying in bed, I had finally convinced Optimus and Ratchet that I was well enough to get up and walk about a little bit.  Optimus’s hand had hovered behind me nervously, there as a support if I needed it.  I’d tried to reassure him that I didn’t need it; but my legs were surprisingly wobbly after lying in bed for three days straight. 

I was sat at the little table in Optimus’s quarters whilst he and Ratchet spoke in quite clicks at the opposite end of the room.  I didn’t really hear what they were saying, but I trusted that Optimus would tell me if he thought it was necessary.  That was something that made our relationship so special, we just got each other.  We were like two halves of the same soul.  We trusted each other implicitly and I knew we would both do anything for each other. 

I finished my toast and lightly got to my feet, stretching out the kinks in my muscles.  Optimus’s head snapped up at the sound of my chair being pushed back.  As our eyes met, his face broke into a wide smile and I answered with one of my own.  He hurried over to me and scooped me up even more gently than usual into his palm. 

“Good breakfast little one?”  I nodded and assumed my normal position in his hand, my good arm wrapped around his thumb.  Ratchet approached us and smiled at me gently.

“And how are you feeling this morning Sky?  Can you do a little something for me?”  I raised my eyebrows in surprise and moved forward a little in Optimus’s palm. 

“I’ve been okay thanks Ratchet, I feel a little wobbly, but other than that I am not in any pain at the moment.  What would you like me to do for you?”  Ratchet chuckled quietly and pulled something tiny out of one of his sub-space compartments. 

Between his thumb and forefinger he held a tiny (to him) piece of scrap metal.  Optimus and I looked at each other quizzically before looking back at Ratchet. 

“There is no need to look so worried Sky, I just want to perform a little experiment.”  Optimus seemed to guess what Ratchet was up to before I did. 

“Ratchet, perhaps we should wait until Sky is fully functional once more before attempting…this test of yours.”  The worry in Optimus’s voice was unmistakable and I looked up at him, asking him a silent question with my eyes.  His thumb moved to gently stroke my back and he tickled the back of my neck softly, causing goosebumps to rise on my bare arms. 

“It will be okay Optimus.  I have faith in Sky, and I know you do too.”  Turning his gaze to me, Ratchet held up the small lump of scrap metal.  “Sky, can you direct the right amount of energy towards this scrap metal and destroy it?  If you can do that, it will give a good indication of the amount of control that you have over the energy that is currently within you.” 

I nodded and sat up straight on Optimus’s palm.  At first I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and concentrated intensely on the block of scrap metal in Ratchet’s hand, but nothing happened.  A funny feeling came over me then, just like I had felt on the _Nemesis._  I gave into instinct and let my hands shape themselves, this time the energy flowing effortlessly from them.  After a few seconds of allowing the energy to build up, I supressed the intensity and watched it for a few seconds before letting it go.  It floated harmlessly around me, touching my hair and leaving it slightly static afterwards.  It was so beautiful, like smoke the exact same shade of blue as Optimus’s optics.  I directed it towards the lump of scrap metal, and the force of the energy knocked it right off of Ratchet’s hand and obliterated it in mid-air.  The pieces floated slowly down like paper to the ground and settled at Optimus’s and Ratchet’s feet.  I was pleasantly surprised and looked up at Optimus to see that his mouth was slightly open, his optics looking down at what had been the scrap metal in amazement.  Ratchet laughed and clapped.

“Brilliant!  This is fantastic Sky!  Once you have fully healed and are properly operational once more, we can perform some more tests!” 

Optimus raised me to his face and nuzzled me tenderly with his helm.

“Well done little one.”  His voice was quietly amazed, and he wore his signature gentle smile on his face plate.  The silence was interrupted by heavy footfalls swiftly followed by Bulkhead’s face appearing around the steel doors to Optimus’s quarters.

“Boss!  We’ve just picked up a ton of Decepticon signals, we’re gettin’ ready to go now!”  Optimus wasted no time, quickly but gently transferring me to Ratchet’s hands and giving me a gentle peck on the cheek.  He followed Bulkhead back to the main communications room, Ratchet and I quick on his heels.  Arcee was like a horse chomping on the bit as Bee pulled the switch down to activate the GroundBridge.  As the GroundBridge came to life, Optimus turned to regard the members of Team Prime. 

Arcee was like a coiled spring, tense and ready for action.  The main screen displayed at least twenty Decepticon life signals, fluttering around the monitor too quickly for me to count them separately.  I knelt nervously in Ratchet’s palm, hanging on to his fingers tightly.  Optimus was in full Prime mode, his leadership mask firmly pulled down, leaving no trace of the tender Prime I had witnessed only a few moments before.  Bulkhead and Bumblebee were ready to go, waiting patiently for Optimus’s command. 

“Autobots, we will travel to the coordinates where the Decepticon life signals originated from.  Now, roll out!”  Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Arcee all transformed into their vehicle modes, engines revving and sounding like a thousand wild buffalo waiting to stampede.  Optimus was just about to begin his transformation sequence when a familiar and enthusiastic voice spoke up. 

“Boo-yah!  Where are we going this time?  Grecko-ville, Chile, The Big Apple?”  Optimus seemed to sigh inwardly before reaching down and gently scooping Miko up into his palm.  Her legs continued to run even as she was lifted off of the ground.  “Aww man!  Lemme down!  I wanna kick the scrap out of some ‘cons!”  Optimus fixed her with a gentle but stern look that said she would do no such thing.  Ratchet puffed hot air through his vents and held out his other hand for Miko.  Optimus gently deposited the squirming, protesting girl into it. 

“Many thanks old friend.  I promise that Bulkhead will relieve you once we have returned from investigating the Decepticon emergence.”  Ratchet said nothing but gave a dismissive shake of his head, his way of saying that he didn’t really mind ‘baby-sitting’ Miko.  It was a job that even the best sentinel would struggle with.  Optimus held out his hand for me and Ratchet slid me carefully into his waiting palm.  Optimus raised me to his face and held me so that I was resting my forehead against his faceplate.  I sighed in mock sadness and Optimus drew back in alarm. 

“Sky?  What is the matter?”

I giggled and patted his face affectionately. 

“If only you had a nose, we could do Eskimo kisses then.”  Optimus relaxed and smiled at me, bringing his huge face in close so that it filled my field of vision totally. 

“That’s alright little one, I can still do this.”  As he uttered these words, he nuzzled me softly with the base of his helm finial, similar to the way a cat rubs their head against their owner.  He then took me between a finger and thumb and set me down on the catwalk.  His little finger lingered on my cheek and I leant into it, enjoying the comfort that it brought.

“Don’t you dare come back with a single scratch okay?  Otherwise I’ll kick your aft.”  I winked as I said it, and Optimus bowed his head, totally serious. 

“I would not dare madam.  I’ll see you later little one.”  Then his body folded in on itself and with a snarl of his engine, and then he and the other ‘bots were gone.  Miko was still wriggling in Ratchet’s hand, but he made sure to keep a firm grip on her until the GroundBridge had completely powered down. 

“Aww man!  Why didn’t ya let me down so I could go Doc ‘bot?”  Ratchet sighed and started to walk away, but Miko simply broke into a brisk jog and ran in and out of his legs. 

“Miko!  If you are not careful, I will step on you and you will indeed go ‘squish!’” Ratchet said, referring to the first time that he had met Miko more than a year ago.  Miko threw up her arms in defeat and joined me on the catwalk. 

“Hey Sky!  How are you feeling after your vay-cay with the ‘cons?”  Miko knew nothing of my apparent ‘power’, and I intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. 

“I’m okay thanks, feeling a little rough but it could have been worse.”  I lowered myself onto the faded sofa and Miko came to sit next to me.  She surprised me by taking my good hand, tripping over what she was trying to say.

“Okay Sky.  I know how close we came to losing you last week, and I just wanted to say I am so glad that Optimus got you back.  _Ichariba chode._ Where I come from, that is how we greet new people.  ‘Though we meet but once, even by chance, we are friends for life.’  That applies to you Sky, I think of you as an _Imōto,_ a sister.”  Her deep brown eyes were looking at me earnestly, waiting eagerly for my reply.   “Oh Miko, I don’t know what to say.  Come here.”  I held my arms out to her and she fell into them.  She started to cry, deep heavy sobs that wracked her whole body.  I held her close and stroked her soft black hair.  “Shh, shh.  It’s okay Miko.  Everything is okay.”   We stayed like that on the faded couch until Optimus returned some three hours later.  .o  **On board the _Nemesis_** As Julia regained consciousness, she gasped as she took in her surroundings.  She was hanging by her arms from huge chains, and everything was pitch black, save for a massive skylight directly ahead of her that let in an eerie red glow.  A sinister and evil chuckle made her jump out of her skin.  Megatron stepped out of the darkness.  “Welcome to the Decepticons Miss Jenkins.”  


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this, please comment! :) 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read :) ♥

It felt like Julia’s arms were on fire as she dangled helplessly from the restraints.  Pulling at them had proven to be futile, the thick chains were just too strong and tight for Julia to even move her arms slightly within them.  The giant robot had not returned since welcoming her to his ‘Decepticon’ team or whatever it was.  She had no idea how long she had been suspended for, but it felt like forever.  She figured she would be there for a while longer, so she closed her eyes and tried to doze.

.o

Knockout hated to use his human holoform, he saw it as an unnecessary waste of Energon.  Unfortunately, the task that Megatron had assigned to him required the use of his holoform so that he could properly construct the delicate device that was to be inserted into Julia.  Knockout was also secretly thrilled with the plan that Megatron and Soundwave had cooked up together.  He couldn’t wait to see how it would play out once the first part was put into motion.

.o

** Autobot Outpost Omega One  **

Since Miko had opened up to me, it felt as if our relationship had changed.  She was somehow more careful around me, nowhere near as boisterous as she usually was.  I welcomed her change in behaviour; it was rather tiring to try and keep up with her ever changing moods. 

Optimus had spent the morning going through some overdue data pads and was now helping Ratchet service the GroundBridge.  I was curled up on the faded brown sofa, watching the pair of them as they worked.  It was easy to see that Ratchet was the craftsman of the pair, his hands seemingly doing the work of their own accord.  I could see why he was a medic.  He had steady, calm hands that never faltered.  I looked down at my own hands, the left one resting in my lap, my right one curled loosely over my cast.  I could definitely understand why Optimus had gone to Ratchet for help in making my ring.  It was exquisite and delicate, but fierce too.  The Autobot insignia was set into a sound belt of slim Spark casing (which strongly resembled platinum) and within the hollow Autobot face resided a tiny piece of Optimus’s Spark itself.  It was pulsing softly, and I smiled, happy in the knowledge that I always had a tiny piece of Optimus with me wherever I was on the planet.  I was twirling it around my right ring finger absent-mindedly when it began to glow furiously.  I was vaguely aware of Optimus calling my name as my vision gave way to complete and utter darkness.

.o

I rose dazedly to my feet, automatically reaching out for the hand that I knew would steady me.  Alpha Trion waited until I had completely regained a vertical base before removing his hand.  Something about him looked different, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what that difference was.  As I lowered myself into a sitting position on his palm, he cycled his intakes loudly – the Cybertronian equivalent of a sigh.  He was frowning deeply, looking like he was having trouble saying what he wanted to say.

“Alpha Trion?  Is everything okay?”  He waited a moment before answering, looking at nothing in particular before settling his gaze on me.

“In these next few weeks, Optimus is going to need you now more than ever Sky.  Do you promise me that you will be there for him?”  His tone of voice sounded desperate and the hand that I was sitting on was raised closer to his large visage.  I got quickly to my feet, trying not to let my face betray the sudden anger that I was feeling. 

“Of course I promise!  Alpha Trion, what kind of person do you take me for?  I would do anything for him, I would _die_ for him!”  My voice was shaking with emotion, and Alpha Trion smiled weakly at me.

“I know young one, but the reason for which your powers were given to you is about to occur.  The _Preda_ is coming.”  I was about to ask what the hell a _Preda_ was when Alpha Trion started to fade.

.o

I opened my eyes to find Optimus gazing worriedly at me, his expression easing a little once our eyes met.  I pushed myself up into a sitting position and put my head in both hands.

“Sky? You lost consciousness.  Is it something to do with your power?”  I nodded without looking up to meet Ratchet’s gaze.  I felt Optimus’s hand move around me and his thumb start to rub my back gently.  I waited for a few minutes before speaking. 

“Optimus, what is a _Preda?_ ”  The black dots finally cleared from my vision as I looked up to regard Optimus and Ratchet.  They were looking at each other with wide optics and open mouths.  Ratchet grasped his nose between a finger and thumb and shut his optics, his optic ridges coming down in a form frown.  Optimus looked at me and then back at Ratchet.  He raised me up to his face so that we could look at each other properly in the eye. 

“Sky, where did you hear that?”  I was worried by Optimus’s tone of voice.  It was deadpan and serious, I could tell he was definitely in Prime mode.  Ratchet said nothing, waiting impatiently for my answer. 

“Just now…I met with Alpha Trion and he said that the _Preda_ was coming.  But before he could tell me what it was, he started to fade and then I woke up.  Did I do something wrong?”  Optimus’ face fell at my words.

“Oh no little one, you have done nothing wrong.  It is just…a _Preda_ is an extremely important piece of Cybertronian history.  One that has not been spoken about since the destruction of Unicron.  It is not a taboo subject so much as it has been…forgotten as time has progressed on.”  I sat up straight in Optimus’ palm, kneeling with my hands on my thighs. Optimus moved to sit on the main berth in the communications room.  Ratchet followed wordlessly, his heavy footfalls being the only sound in the silence.  He let me slide off of his palm onto his left leg.  I settled just above his knee and waited for him to begin speaking again.  He made sure he was in a comfortable position before he began, placing his hands palm down on the birth behind him and leaning back on them.  Ratchet sat down too, looking extremely tense. 

“A _Preda_ is a source of immense power.  The nearest phrase in English which matches the Cybertronian is a ‘soul split’ or a ‘soul division.’  Do you recall me telling you about Unicron and how Primus defeated him?” I nodded.

“You said that Primus created the Thirteen, the Primes who were the first Primes and preceded you.  That’s why Unicron hated the Primes and wanted to destroy you in order to end the Prime lineage – because they defeated him in the first place.”  Optimus offered me a small smile and nodded. 

“Indeed.  You have a good memory little one.  What I didn’t tell you, is _how_ Primus created the Thirteen.  In order to create sentient beings who are capable of battle and protection, a vast amount of energy is required.  The sort of energy that can only come from one of two places; the AllSpark or another Spark.  The problem with creating a Cybertronian from an AllSpark is that the Sparks will need time to mature, both physically and mentally.  By creating a Cybertronian from one’s own Spark, the maturation process is already completed – because the donor’s Spark is already mature.”  Optimus paused, letting me take it all in. 

“So…was Primus in control of the Thirteen original Primes?”

“Yes and no.  He controlled them only to the point until they had their own bodies.  After that they were completely sentient.  But when Primus divided his Spark into Thirteen, he placed the knowledge and the Wisdom of the Primes into each of those Sparks.  That knowledge comes from –“

“The Matrix of Leadership.”  Ratchet’s breathless voice finished Optimus’ sentence.  “Primus needed to impart the knowledge from the Matrix of Leadership into the Thirteen so that they would possess the capability and the knowledge that they needed to defeat Unicron.”  I held up my hands.

“Hang on a minute guys, I don’t have a super-fast brain to process all of this.  I need to play catch up.”  Optimus smiled gently and closed one optic in a wink.  “So, a _Preda_ is a soul split or soul division in which a Cybertronian splits his or her Spark to create another sentient being or beings.”  I stopped and watched Optimus nod, his optics seeming to glow even brighter than usual – he seemed excited.  “Primus did this in order to create the Thirteen original Primes so that he could defeat Unicron and cast him out.”  Another nod from Optimus.  “But in order to equip them with the knowledge and capability that they needed to defeat Unicron, Primus had to equip them with knowledge from the Matrix of Leadership?”

“Affirmative.  That is why I possess the Matrix of Leadership – it contains the wisdom of the Primes and is one of the most important Cybertronian artefacts to have ever existed.  It is how Unicron was defeated a second time.”  I nodded and twirled my ring around my finger.  Optimus took that as an okay from me to continue with his explanation.  

“After Primus performed the _Preda_ , his Spark was too weak to sustain him for long.   He charged the Thirteen with the responsibility of governing over Cybertron, whilst Primus became one with the very core of our planet itself.” 

My thoughts were going at a hundred miles an hour.  If Alpha Trion said that a _Preda_ was coming, did that mean that it was going to happen to me?  Was that the reason for my strange and unpredictable power?  As usual, Optimus seemed to know what I was thinking. 

“It would stand to reason that your power is going to be used for the purpose of a _Preda._ Sky, if that is indeed the case, I need you to be with me at all times.  If the Decepticons get any wind of this news, they will stop at nothing to take you from me, and I will absolutely NOT let that happen.”  I swallowed and brought my hands up to my shoulders.  Goosebumps had suddenly formed across my skin and I abruptly felt uneasy.  Optimus’ index finger moved under my chin to gently tilt my face upwards to him so that I was looking him directly in the optic. 

“Sky, if what Alpha Trion said is indeed going to occur soon, I need to protect you.  I will offer my Spark as a reserve source of energy if required for the _Preda._  You are so tiny…I cannot let you bear such a burden, both physically and mentally on your own.”  I opened my mouth to protest but he gently placed a massive fingertip over my lips.  “You will not change my mind on this Sky.  I almost lost you once and I am not about to let it happen again.  We have become two halves of the same whole Sky, and I cannot live without you.”  I said nothing but latched onto his finger and his hand moved around as he gently scooped me up.  Standing, he turned to face Ratchet.

“Ratchet, could you please research everything we have on the _Preda._  I am going to my quarters with Sky to test her abilities.”  Ratchet nodded and made his way to the main console, typing in a string of code before he was greeted with the default screen which showed a scan of the base and everything within it.  I decided right then and there that I would do whatever it took to protect Optimus. 

I could not let him down.

.o

** On board _The Nemesis_ **

Julia had been suspended from her restraints for eight hours and she could now no longer feel her arms.  Just as she had begun to think that she was going crazy, the same giant robot with the spiky shoulders walked into her field of vision.  The robot’s cruel red eyes appraised her coldly before he reached up and released her screaming arms from the restraints.  Julia fell with a soft ‘thump’ into his outstretched hand and didn’t even bother to try and back away from him. 

“So, Miss Jenkins.  Or do you prefer Julia?”  It took every ounce of effort that Julia had to respond to him. 

“I could care less.  Call me whatever the hell you want.”  The robot surprised her by chuckling. 

“Ah, you have the same fiery spirit as her.  Interesting.”  Julia didn’t reply but placed her hands hesitantly on his palm in an effort to steady herself.  Her head was swimming and she hadn’t eaten since lunch time at work today – was it still even today?  The robot carried her through a maze of mammoth corridors before turning into a doorway so tall that he didn’t even have to stoop. 

He made his way to a huge platform and sat down on it, lowering his hand and opening it to allow Julia to step off.  She did so, a little wobbly and moved to the edge.  She was a good twelve feet off of the ground at least, but the jump seemed harmless enough.  As she bent to gather the energy that she needed for the jump, the robot broke the silence. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.  Your blood sugar is very low and your limbs are numb from the suspension.  You will most likely injure yourself and then my medic will have to attend to you.  I’d rather not cause him the trouble.”  Julia huffed and sat down, allowing her legs to dangle over the edge of the berth.  The great robot inched a little closer to her, testing the water.  Julia made no effort to move away from him.  “You do not appear to be frightened of me.  The only sign I am getting from you is a slightly raised heart rate.  Your central nervous system is not registering any signs of significant shock, and your fight or flight instinct seems to be non-existent.”  Julia said nothing but huffed again.

Megatron decided to make the introductions.

“My name is Megatron, and I am the leader of a faction of sentient robotic organisms called Decepticons.  We fight to keep this galaxy safe from our foes the Autobots and other unknown threats.”  To his surprise, Julia actually laughed. 

“Well.  It is nice to meet you Megatron.  Tell me, do you plan to kill me after the formalities or before?”  Megatron growled quietly – not quite loudly enough for her human ears to pick up the frequency of the sound. 

“Did you not hear what I just said?  Are your audios malfunctioning?  I will not harm you, nor do I intend to harm you.” 

“Yes I heard what you said.  My ears are working perfectly well thank you very much.”  Megatron chuckled again and moved a little closer to Julia.

“I apologise for the less than uncivilised way in which you were brought to me.  It was necessary to avoid detection – my communications chief has alerted me to the fact that our Autobot enemies have been observing your every move.  It was necessary to bring you here for your safety.  The Autobots would not hesitate to kill you if the opportunity presented itself.”  Megatron waited to see how the female would react to his words.

He took advantage of her pause to study her strange human features.  Her skin was the colour of pale ivory, her neck and face were flushed faintly with the blood that pounded through her veins.

She turned and looked up at him incredulously with a raised brow.

“Well that’s good to know.  Good God this day cannot get any weirder.”  She put her head in her hands and sighed.  A mini drone came in bearing food for Julia.  Megatron scanned it and detected the chemical scent of anaesthesia in the drink and the microwavable mashed potato.  He leaned down and plucked the tiny meal from the drone who then scuttled back into the confines of the darkness. 

“I also apologise for the suspension.  It was necessary to see if you were an Autobot spy.  Please, eat something.”  Megatron placed the small meal beside Julia.  “It is not very large or nutritious, but please, you must eat.  I understand that humans are prone to feeling unwell when they have not ingested the appropriate sustenance for a prolonged period of time.”

“Do you know, I am scarily calm?  I mean, here I am, sitting with a giant robot who claims to have abducted me for my own safety, and here I am, about to tuck into a meal that said giant robot has provided – and I am not even asking any questions!  Ha, I think I am going slightly insane.” 

“On the contrary Miss Jenkins, I can assure you that you are quite sane and that I am quite real.”  To convince her further, he gently brushed a fingertip across her face, moving a strand of her long black hair off of her face.  She said nothing and started to eat her meal.  Megatron contacted Knockout over the comm. Link. 

_//Knockout, has the device for Miss Jenkins been correctly constructed?//_

_//Affirmative Lord Megatron, I am waiting for your approval to begin with the plan.//_

_//Good.  I will be there within the hour.  Ensure the med bay is appropriately prepped and ready for surgery.//_

The line went dead and Megatron patiently waited for the anaesthesia to take effect on the human.  She was bigger than Prime’s female, taller by at least six inches, but then that was to be expected.  She was an adult and so would naturally be a little bigger, even if it was only by a miniscule amount (by Cybertronian standards). 

She seemed to take forever to eat her food, but she finally finished the less than impressive meal of black coffee, mashed potato and baked beans.  Within minutes the anaesthesia had started to take effect and Julia laid down on the berth. 

“Ooh, I’m not feeling too good.”

“Perhaps you should try to recharge; your body is most likely digesting the food at a faster rate than usual because of your prolonged period of starvation.”  Julia just closed her eyes and moaned softly, one hand loosely clutching her stomach.

.o

In the deepest depths of her sub-consciousness, she knew she was in danger and tried to fight it, but the drug was too powerful.  She started to dream, beautiful colourful dreams that held the memories she had fought so hard to keep at bay for so many long and hard years.  The feel of her warm baby at her breast.  The tugging on her white summer dress by the chubby two year old who bore her mother’s eyes and dark black hair.  The four year old stirring the cookie dough and getting more on the counter top than she kept in the actual bowl. 

.o

Within two minutes, Julia was completely under the effects of the anaesthesia.  Megatron tested her reflexes and she didn’t move an inch.  He picked her up roughly and hurried to the med bay, where Knockout was ready and waiting.  As Megatron appeared, Knockout folded himself into his vehicle mode and activated his holoform.  Megatron laid Julia on the table and Knockout immediately set to work intubating her and putting a cannula into the back of her right hand. 

“Notify me as soon as she regains consciousness.  I wish to see the results of this procedure first hand.”  Knockout nodded, now in serious medic mode.  Megatron left the med bay and then Knockout was alone.  The whole procedure would not likely take more than ten or fifteen minutes, but Knockout wanted to work carefully to ensure that he didn’t make any silly mistakes. 

He moved to her head and made a small incision just behind her left ear.  The incision was barely half an inch long, but half an inch was all Knockout needed to slip the tiny chip underneath her skin.  Ten minutes later, he had secured the chip in place and placed some butterfly stiches and a thick wad of gauze over the wound.

 

 

** Two hours later  **

Julia was groggy but conscious.  She was in a hospital style bed, and the robot that called himself Megatron was looking directly at her.  He smiled and walked towards her.

“How are you feeling Miss Jenkins?”  He kept his voice steady and calm, seeing if the chip really had performed.  When her answer came, Megatron had to maintain a perfect poker face.

Her reply was deadpan and absolutely devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

“I am feeling well thank you.”

“Good.  Can you tell me who I am and why you are here?”

“Yes.  You are my one true master, Lord Megatron, leader of the Decepticons.  I am here to help you extinguish Optimus Prime’s Spark, and kill the female hat he has sworn to protect.”

Megatron smiled, a cruel and twisted expression that made his face look truly terrifying. 

“Excellent.”


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read! :) 
> 
> Comments are very much appreciated :) ♥

** Chapter Twenty-Four  **

The early morning found me resting on Optimus while he was in a very light recharge.  I was laying on his chest, my legs resting on his wrist as his arm was draped across his stomach.  I was having a hard time concentrating on my book – practicing with my energy power had taken all of my mental strength, leaving me totally exhausted.  Optimus had sensed my lethargy and pulled me onto his chest before falling asleep himself.  I now had more or less complete control over my strange power, getting it to start and stop was easy.

I gave up on my book, the words were dancing around on the page and making me feel woozy, and I didn’t want an unscheduled visit from Alpha Trion.  I hugged the book to my chest and slowly turned over on Optimus’ chest, trying not to disturb him from his recharge.  I was moving slowly up and down with the motion of his chest as his systems filtered air in and out of his vents.  I took the brief moment of calmness as an opportunity to study his noble face.

His eyebrows (or optic ridges as Ratchet liked to call them) were lying in a perfectly neutral expression on his face.  His optics themselves were shut in a tight thin line, and he had the smallest of smiles on his faceplate.  I rested my chin on my hands, just taking in my surroundings.  Here I was, sitting on one of the most powerful beings in the world; a being who could rip down trees and tear out Spark chambers with his bare hands.  A being who would protect me at all costs and who had become my most trusted friend and ally. 

I slid lightly underneath his arm and on to the berth, the need to go to the toilet too great for me to resist any longer.  I had been putting off going for the past hour and a half, not wanting to wake Optimus up.  As I slid slowly off of his chest, he stirred a little and grunted slightly, but did not wake from his recharge.  I smiled to myself and slid down the pole that Ratchet had made for me that allowed me to get down to the ground if Optimus wasn’t available.  I went to the toilet, and after I had washed my hands, I climbed up the cat walk stairs on to Optimus’ ‘desk’ and sat down on the worn computer chair in front of my own little desk.  I checked back over my shoulder to see if Optimus was still asleep; he was.  I knew I didn’t have long before he would subconsciously start to look for me, so I reached into the draw that contained my stationary materials, and started to write.

_My dearest Optimus,_

_Writing this letter to you is going to be one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my entire life.  Before I start with the emotional stuff, let me just say how grateful I am that I had the opportunity to meet you.  You have the most pure soul/Spark that it has ever been my pleasure to know.  You taught me how to love and trust again, and no amount of debt can ever repay that._

As I was writing, I let the emotion wash through me and pour out on to the page.  It was like I wasn’t even aware of what I was writing; so I retreated into the safe recesses of my memories.

.o

Optimus was out on patrol when June came in slightly intoxicated.  Well, slightly was an understatement, she was completely off of her head.  June had been out celebrating her fortieth birthday with Agent Fowler and some other friends when she returned to the Autobot base for the night.  Jack was the dutiful son, and made sure she had plenty of water and a sick bucket just in case she needed it.  Ratchet rolled his optics but wasn’t really annoyed, he probably secretly found it quite entertaining.  Bumblebee and Arcee were absolutely fascinated by June’s drunken behaviour and were currently asking her to pronounce the longest word in the English language. 

“Come on June, you should be able to say this word!  You’re a nurse for Primus sake!”  Arcee threw her arms up in mock frustration and looked down at June through slightly narrowed optics.  June hiccupped and giggled, her lips coming up to form a pout as her face scrunched up in concentration.

“Pneumon…pneumonidl…pnefk…poomonic…man that’s a hard word!”  June giggled again and grabbed on to Bumblebee’s foot for support.  Poor Bumblebee looked down awkwardly at June, clearly wondering what to do.  He bent down, his hand hovering just above her head as if he was going to pick her up, but then at the last minute he seemed to change his mind.  Bumblebee stood very still as June used him to walk herself over to the catwalk stairs.  She sat down slowly on them and put her head on her knees.  Then her head snapped up very fast and she smiled groggily.  “I know what you’re tryna’ get me to do.  You want me to say…a really long word…’cause I’m…a little tipsy!”  She hiccupped again and sighed loudly. 

Ratchet walked in then and muttered something too quiet for my human ears to hear.  He had spotted June sitting on the stairs and came over, treading more lightly as usual so as not to startle her.  Ratchet was about to speak when Agent Fowler literally fell out of the elevator.  He too was rather intoxicated.  His shirt was ruffled and untucked from his trousers and his tie was loose and crooked.  Agent Fowler said nothing but simply plopped himself down onto the faded leather sofa and promptly fell asleep and began to snore loudly.  The sound was akin to a train’s steam engine.  Ratchet sighed and got down on one knee so he could regard June more on her level. 

“Nurse Darby, what is wrong with you?  You are not making any sense.”  Bumblebee stepped forward and looked like he was about to offer an explanation to Ratchet about June’s current state, but Arcee stepped forward and stopped him with the tiniest shake of her head, the hints of a mischievous smile beginning to form on her petite face.

June burst out laughing and got up from the stairs.  She was wobbly on her feet and Ratchet offered his hand to her.  She fell forward on it, much like a baby does when taking their first steps. 

“I am fine Mr Ratchet, did you know it’s my birthday today?”  Ratchet’s optic ridges rose up in evident confusion. 

“You mean the date on which you were born?  Your creation date?”  June rolled her eyes and blew a raspberry at Ratchet. 

“Tcchh, no silly!  Yes, the date on which I was born, my creation date is when-“ she paused and broke into hysterical peals of laughter once more.  “My creation date is when my parents…you know Ratchet!  You’re a doctor!” 

Ratchet looked at me quizzically and I just shook my head at him with a small smile on my face.  Jack came forward, his cheeks as red as Optimus’ upper body and held his arm out to June.

“Mom, come with me now; let’s go home and not bother Ratchet anymore.  Arcee?”  Jack looked up at Arcee, who hesitated before speaking. 

“Um, Jack?  I don’t think it’s the best idea for your mom to ride with me in her…current state.  She might fall off.”  Jack sighed and put his face in his hands. 

I stepped forward.

“Jack?  Why don’t you and June stay the night here?  We’ve got food and bathrooms, I don’t mind if June wants to sleep in my bed.”  Jack was about to answer me when June pounced on me.

“Yay!  Slumber party!”  I laughed and put my arm around her, taking a little bit of her weight.  She tottered a little in her high heels, and as if reading my mind, she kicked them off.  “My feet are sore.  Ratchet?  Can I have a coffee please?” 

“Nurse Darby!  No you may not have a coffee.  After searching the internet, I have deduced that you are indeed inebriated madam.  Coffee will not help this situation.  In fact, what you need is a large glass of water.”  I struggled not to smile as Ratchet reprimanded June. 

I turned to Arcee, who came down to my level.

“Erh, is this normal behaviour Sky?  Should we have cause for concern?”  I smiled and lightly touched Arcee’s hand. 

“It is normal behaviour for someone who has consumed a lot of alcohol, and I would say that June has certainly had her share.  She’ll most likely have a massive headache in the morning, but we don’t need to worry Arcee.  Why don’t you take her to Optimus’ quarters – I’ll be there shortly.”  Arcee nodded and scooped June gently up into her arms and carried her like you would a baby.  June waved to me over Arcee’s shoulder with the biggest smile on her face.

I waved back to her and returned her smile.  She seemed to be enjoying her birthday and I was greatly pleased of that fact.  Ratchet stood back up to his full height and still had that adorable, bemused expression on his face.  He shook his head and walked back to the main console, which had started to beep. 

“Autobot life signal incoming.”  I smiled to myself and walked over to the vehicular entrance of the silo.  Within seconds, the big rig was pulling up.  Optimus transformed on the move, causing a puff of wind that blew my hair ever so slightly.  He smiled down at me and knelt down, holding his hand out to me.  I stepped on and assumed my usual position; sitting on my knees with my arm hooked around his thumb.

“Hello Sky.  How are you this evening?” 

“I am fine thank you Optimus.  How was your patrol?”

“Mercifully uneventful.  There were no signs of Decepticon activity within one hundred miles of the base, which is very pleasing.  How was your evening little one?” 

“My evening has been…entertaining to say the least.  Actually, we have a guest staying with us tonight.  And when I say ‘us’, I mean you and me.”  Optimus’ eyebrows rose and he looked at me cautiously. 

“Should I be worried?”

 

I laughed. 

“No, you don’t have to be worried.  Actually, our visitor is June.”

“Nurse Darby?  Jack’s mother?”  I nodded.

“She’s a little…drunk, and I think it is best that she spends the night here, just in case she is poorly later on tonight.  Is that okay?”  Optimus brought me close to his face.

“Of course it is okay Sky; my home is your home, and do not ever think otherwise.”  I just smiled at him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek, which he returned with the utmost gentleness.

“Let us go and see Nurse Darby then.” 

Optimus carried me through the long corridors until we got to our quarters.  Arcee was there, trying to coax a hyper June into bed. 

“June, come on now.  You need to recharge.” 

“Pfft.  You’re funny Arcee.  I’m not a battery!”  Arcee sighed and straightened up when Optimus walked in.  He placed his free hand gently on Arcee’s shoulder.

“Thank you Arcee.  Myself and Sky will take it from here.” 

“Okay.  Goodnight Optimus, goodnight Sky.”  We both nodded to her and then she was gone, shutting the sliding doors quietly behind her.  June smiled up at Optimus and sat herself down on my double bed.  She stifled a yawn and then gasped. 

“Oh my goodness!  I am so sorry for being rude.”  Her speech was a little less slurred now, and her cheeks were no longer scarlet.  Optimus showed her he had taken no offense by rewarding her with one of his small smiles. 

“There is no need to apologise Nurse Darby.  Please, make yourself comfortable in Sky’s bed.”  June was wearing one of Jack’s t-shirts (which was too big) and a pair of my track pants.  She started to pull the covers back and then suddenly stopped. 

“Where will Sky sleep?”  She looked at me.  “We can top and tail if you like.”  I hesitated, unsure how to answer her.  I didn’t want to sleep in the same bed as June, not because I didn’t trust her, but because I was terrified of her accidentally touching me in the night.  As usual, Optimus came to my rescue. 

“No worries Nurse Darby, Sky will sleep with me on my chest; she has done so many times before.”  June nodded, apparently quite satisfied with that arrangement.  She had one leg in the bed when she turned to Optimus and said;

“Ooh, can Sky and me swap places?  You’re a hot bot Optimus Prime…we should call you…Hotimus Prime!”  I just stared at June open-mouthed.  Optimus was speechless, but was ever gentlemanly.

“Thank you, Nurse Darby.  The sentiment is certainly…appreciated.” 

“Oh, call me June, you hot bot!”  And with that, she climbed into bed and started to snore softly. 

Optimus laid down on his berth and placed me on his chest.  I turned over onto my stomach so that I could look at Optimus. 

“Well…that was unexpected.”  His voice was low and soft, so as not to wake June.  I smiled at him and stroked his thumb with my hand.

“You certainly have a unique effect on the ladies.  Was there nobody who caught your eye back on Cybertron?”  He thought for a minute before answering. 

“No.  I was never that way inclined…romantically I mean.  Even before I was a Prime…romance was never one of my priorities.  And now, YOU are my main priority.  The only person I can honestly say I have ever loved is you Sky.  You are everything to me.  I would do anything for you.” 

“I know Optimus, and I just have a one word response to that.”

“Oh?”

“Ditto.”

.o

My mind was snapped back to the present as Optimus moved on the berth.  I turned my attention back to the letter.

_Optimus Prime, you are my best friend and the other half of my soul._

_I love you with everything that I am._

_Yours,_

_Sky_

Optimus started to emerge from his recharge, so I quickly tucked my letter into a heavy ivory envelope and shoved it at the back of my stationary drawer.  Optimus stretched and got off of the berth, making his way towards me.

 

“Are you alright Sky?  This is not a normal hour of operation for you.”  I smiled at him and walked over to the edge of the desk and sat down on his waiting palm. 

 

“I’m fine thank you Optimus, I woke up early and couldn’t go back off to sleep, so I decided to do some writing to take my mind off of things.”  Optimus raised the hand that I was on to his face, bringing me so close that his face filled my entire field of vision.

 

“Ahh.  I understand little one.  I understand that you are worried about the possible forthcoming events, but I promise you that you are safe with me.  I won’t ever let the Decepticons touch you again.” 

 

I rose up onto my knees and placed both of my hands on his face. 

 

“Optimus, I would let the Decepticons take me every day if it guaranteed your safety.  Please, don’t underestimate my love for you.”  He raised me even closer and held me to his face, shutting his optics tightly.  I could hear the whir of his mechanisms and feel a soft puff of air coming out from the vent in the back of his head.  When he opened his optics again, they were slightly misty. 

 

“Sky, I will NEVER underestimate your love.  Come here you.”  He held me to his chest, so close that I could hear the soft humming of his Spark behind the casing.  It was deliciously warm and I shivered reflexively.  He drew back and nuzzled me softly with his helm.  My hands started to spark and I rubbed them together in an attempt to stop it. 

“Easy little one.  I know your power gets triggered when you are experiencing intense emotion.”  His finger moved to gently rub my back, and I concentrated on that sensation alone.

 

Optimus returned to his berth, laid me on his chest and closed his optics. 

 

“I’m sorry I interrupted your recharge Op.”  I said, trying to hold back a yawn and failing miserably.

 

“No worries Sky.  Mmm, goodnight little one.”  I chuckled lightly, amazed how he could sound just like a human roused from their nap.  I turned on to my side and curled up into the shape of his hand, allowing the dream world to reclaim me once more.

 

.o

 

The rest of the day passed without incident.  I had to wait until six o’clock in the evening before I could ring Raf without Optimus accidentally overhearing me. 

I tapped his number quickly into my phone, hiding in the Energon vault. 

 

“Hello?”

 

“Raf! Hi, it’s Sky.  Are you okay to talk?”

 

“Sure? Is everything okay at base? Is Bee okay?”

 

“Bumblebee is fine Raf, I am actually ringing to ask if you can do me a favour?”

 

“Of course! Something technological?”

 

I laughed.

 

“No.  I just don’t have chance to do it.”  I explained to him what I needed doing and he agreed without hesitation.  “After I hang up, I’ll send you the link.” 

 

“Cool! I’ll get that done right away for you.  I’ll drop it by tomorrow when I come to the base.” 

 

“Thanks Raf, you rock!”

 

“Anytime Sky.  Bye!” 

 

I hung up and sighed.  Before emerging from the Energon vault, I deleted my call log.  I couldn’t give Optimus any indication of what I was planning. 

 

At that moment, the letter in the back of my stationary drawer weighed more than a broken heart ever could.

Lying to Optimus was going to be the hardest thing I had ever had to do.


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read! :) 
> 
> If you enjoyed this, please comment! :) ♥

**_ The Nemesis  _ **

Megatron was extremely pleased with the mind-control chip that Soundwave and Knockout had constructed together.  So far, it was controlling Julia flawlessly, and she was showing no resistance to it.  The chip that was no bigger than a grain of rice used electroencephalography and tapped into Julia’s central nervous system.  From there it intercepted the neurons and changed her intentions.  It was the same technology used for humans who had bionic hands and arms.  Megatron was in complete and total control of Julia’s actions, and she obeyed his every whim without question.  The chip that Megatron had had inserted into his central processing unit allowed him to control Julia’s actions wirelessly and over a great distance.

Julia and Knockout were presently at a large shopping mall in Las Vegas.  Megatron knew that Julia was a lawyer, and would thus be against anything immoral, such as shop-lifting.  Knockout was using his human holoform and posing as Julia’s partner.

_//K: Lord Megatron, how much longer am I expected to carry on like this?  Kissing this creature is disgusting!  Why didn’t you get one of the vehicons to do it?//_

_//M: Stop complaining Knockout, and proceed with the task at hand!//_

A slight hiss of static indicated that Megatron had signed off of the comm. link.  Knockout rolled his eyes and placed his arm awkwardly around Julia’s shoulders.  She leant her head on his shoulder at Megatron’s command, her long black hair draping over the pair of them like a long curtain.  To the unwitting stranger, they were just another couple perusing the contents of an over-priced home store. 

Since the micro-chip had been implanted into Julia, she had lost all emotion.  She displayed no outward emotion at all unless she was ordered to do so by Megatron himself.  She was like a stereotypical robot, in a twist of fate and cruel irony.

Knockout guided her up and down the aisles, looking for anything that was remotely interesting to steal.  After browsing the entire store, Knockout decided there was nothing in this shop worth stealing.  Upon exiting the shop, he saw directly opposite that there was an automotive store.  He allowed a big smile to slide onto his face. 

He grabbed Julia’s wrist lightly and pulled her towards the store. 

“Come on dear, we need to pick up some items for the automobile.”  Julia said nothing, but followed him through the automatic sliding doors like a lemming.

He pulled her straight to the back of the store where the polishers and buffers were.  After quickly scanning all their specifications, Knockout’s eyes settled on the most expensive one on the shelf.  He pointed to it.  “Julia?  Take that one.” 

Without battering and eyelid, Julia casually reached for the buffer.  She pretended to examine it carefully, turning it this way and that in her small hands, before glancing quickly to the left, the right and behind her, before tucking it expertly away in her purse.  The large buffer fit perfectly in the confines of her large Prada tote bag.  Knockout raised his eyebrows in surprise. 

“Hmm.  Perhaps we’ll make a Decepticon out of you yet.” 

Again Julia said nothing, but looked Knockout directly in the eye, her gaze cold and hard.  Her chocolate brown eyes were devoid of any emotion, and as much as Knockout hated to admit it, he was beginning to be impressed by the human.  He wrapped his arm once more around Julia’s shoulders, and they exited the shop with an arrogant confidence about them.  The security guard at the entrance was none the wiser to the crime that had just been committed, and they walked out of the door without triggering the alarm. 

They exited the mall complex, and made their way back to Knockout’s vehicle mode, which was parked illegally in a disabled bay.  Knockout had the grace to hold the passenger door open for Julia, and she folded herself with poise into the car.  Knockout walked around to the drivers’ side and lowered himself into the seat with surprising elegance.  He eased the car out of the parking bay and drove swiftly in the direction of the highway.

Once they were a suitable distance from the populated area, Knockout called for a GroundBridge.  Once they were back on board the _Nemesis,_ Julia exited the car and Knockout transformed behind her.  Megatron was standing on the main deck awaiting their arrival.  He made an approximation of a smile when he saw Julia.  She did not return it.  He was amused at her lack of emotion, and the leader of the Decepticons was not an easily amused individual. 

Megatron knelt down in one fluid motion and held his hand out for Julia.  She dropped the buffer into his waiting palm.  At this, he raised his eyebrows. 

“What?  Just because I have self-respect…”  Knockout left the main deck, muttering to himself all the while. 

Megatron paid no mind to his vain medical officer and beckoned at Julia with his index finger.

“Come Julia.  Let us walk and talk.” 

Julia did as she was bid and stepped onto his broad palm, settling on her knees, her hands palm down on Megatron’s to balance herself.  He rose smoothly and walked through the maze of corridors to his own private quarters. 

“I am very impressed with your performance today Julia.”  Julia appraised Megatron with her dark eyes.

“Thank you master.” 

Megatron felt his electro-pulse quicken ever so slightly at the word ‘master.’ 

“Good performance requires praise.  You are more competent than most of my Decepticons.”  At these words, Megatron lifted the mental wall in his mind that was barring Julia’s emotions, letting them free.  Blood rushed to her cheeks.

“Nothing gives me more pleasure than doing your bidding Lord Megatron.”  Megatron did not respond but traced Julia’s jaw gently with the tip of a razor sharp finger.  One quick flick would be all it would take to slash her throat right there and then.  Megatron resisted the temptation.  Once the human had served her purpose, he would be free to terminate her.  Right now, he needed her to trap Prime and his beloved pet. 

“I am pleased to hear that.  Now, do you know what our next plan of action is?”  Julia nodded.

“To kill Optimus Prime and his pet human.”

.o

** Autobot Outpost Omega One  **

I wondered down the maze of corridors in the Autobot base, trying not to let my mind wander into dangerous territory.  Optimus was on yet another patrol, Decepticon radio chatter had increased over the past twenty-four hours, so Optimus and Bumblebee had gone to investigate.  They had reported Soundwave flying just seventy miles from the silo, and had driven out of State to try and lead him away from the base. 

I found myself outside of Bulkhead’s quarters, and the giant sliding doors were open.  I hesitated for a few seconds before knocking.  There were some light vibrations of the ground before Bulkhead got to the doors and poked his head out.

“Hello?”  He looked all around but not down.

I cleared my throat.

“Umm, down here Bulkhead.”  He looked down at me and smiled. 

“Hey Sky!  What can I do ya for?”  I shuffled awkwardly on my feet, unsure of how to answer him.  I was silent for a few seconds, considering all I had left to do. 

Raf had done the favour that I had asked of him and had brought it to the base first thing this morning.  That, along with my letter to Optimus, was wrapped in simple brown package paper and nestled safely in my desk drawer, with a single post-it-note stuck to the front that read; _Open Me._ Bulkhead either didn’t notice my delay in answering his question or chose to ignore it. 

“I was just wandering if you wanted a chat?”  He grinned widely down at me and offered his hand to me by way of invitation.  I stepped on, cradling my broken wrist against my chest as Bulkhead raised himself to his full height.  Bulkhead’s hand was a lot smaller than Optimus’, but still substantial in size, so I had plenty of room to lower myself to my knees and steady myself with my right hand. 

Bulkhead walked over to his berth and slipped me off of his hand onto it.  He sat down next to me, looking at me expectantly.  “No Miko today?”  My voice came out higher than usual, as it always did when I was slightly nervous. 

“Heh.  No – she and Jack are on a field trip to the local museum.  Miko’s idea of fun!” 

I laughed at the thought of Miko trying to concentrate on ancient artefacts when she knew that Bulkhead was back at base waiting for her. 

“Bulkhead?”

He turned to look down at me, the look in his optics both kind and curious.

“Mmhmm?”

“Umm…I just wanted to say thank you.  Thank you for accepting me into your life, no questions asked.  I know it hasn’t been an easy ride, what with me getting kidnapped by the Decepticons and my father’s court case…but I just appreciate it.  I have come to find a valuable friend in you Bulkhead, Miko is a lucky girl to have you protecting her.”  At my words, Bulkhead lifted himself off of the berth and knelt down on the floor, folding his arms on the berth and then resting his chin on his arms.

“Wow…thanks Sky.  Any friend of Optimus’ is a friend of mine.  I have seen a new happiness enter Optimus’ Spark, and it is down to you.  I should be the one who is thanking you!” 

I blushed and got to my feet.  I touched him lightly on his green arm and gave him an awkward one armed hug.  He looked up at me in surprise.  “Is there anything you want to talk about Sky?”

I sighed internally.  I had opened up to Bulkhead because he wasn’t usually intuitive to feelings, and I needed him to be like that today.

I shook my head.

“No…I just wanted you to know that.  That’s all.  I need to go and speak to Arcee now – she mentioned needing help with something.”  Bulkhead appraised me suspiciously.

“Okay.”  He said nothing more and offered me his hand once more and then lowered me slowly to the ground.  Just as I was about to walk through the large sliding doors, Bulkhead called my name.  “Sky?” 

I turned around to acknowledge him. 

“Mhm?”

“Take care of yourself.  It would kill Optimus if anything happened to you.” 

I barely concealed my surprise as Bulkhead settled down on his berth and slipped into recharge.  I shut the large doors silently behind me.  I took a deep breath in and smoothed my hair where it had escaped my pony-tail. 

I made my way towards Arcee’s quarters, and walked straight into her leg.  I fell back on my backside.  I looked up and her and laughed, laughed hysterically.  The laughter was the belly kind, and it hurt to breathe and my stomach felt like it was about to rip itself in half.  Arcee was laughing with me, her face showing a rare and beautiful smile.  I was horrified when the laughter turned into crying that was just as intense.  Arcee stopped laughing and gently bundled me into her arms. 

I wrapped my arms around her neck, latching onto her like a koala bear.  She walked back into her quarters, shutting the doors and sat down on her small berth. 

“Sky?  Are you hurt?  Shh, it’s okay.  Do you want me to call Optimus?”  At Optimus’ name I shook my head furiously. 

“No.  Optimus can’t know that I’ve been upset.  I’m okay Arcee, honestly.  I’m just…”

“Just what Sky?”  I sighed in her arms.

“I’m scared I’m going to lose you all, that something will happen to you or Optimus…and I would never be able to live with myself if that were to happen.”

“Oh Sky.  We are all here to protect each other; that’s what families do.” 

I forced a smile onto my face and nodded, agreeing with her.  “Do you need to see Ratchet?  I can take you to him right now if that is what you want.”

I shook my head again and wiped my face with the back of my good hand.  Arcee looked worried, her eyebrows coming down to form a frown. 

“I don’t need to go and see Ratchet, but thanks for the offer all the same.  I just came…”  My words trailed off as I realised I didn’t know what I had come to Arcee for.  But then I did know.  I knew down in my deepest, darkest pit that I had come to say goodbye.  My throat thickened again as I acknowledged it consciously for the first time.  “I just came for a chat.”  I shrugged to try and make my words come across as nonchalant. 

Arcee smiled at me, though it didn’t reach her optics.  She walked over to her berth and I slipped out of her arms and lowered myself to sit cross-legged in front of her.  She leaned back on her hands and looked at me with a kind smile on her face.  I let my eyes drift past her, and my gaze settled on a picture of her and Jack.  The picture was on top of Arcee’s ‘bed table’ and Jack had made the frame for Arcee and got the picture printed on a piece of paper the size of a king sized duvet.  In the picture, Jack was stood atop some wooden crates, leaning on Arcee’s shoulder.  Jack was looking directly at the camera, a big grin plastered across his face.  His raven hair was falling floppily into his eyes, which were squinted a little bit to keep out the sunlight.  But it was Arcee who made the photo so captivating.  She wasn’t looking at the camera at all, but staring intently at Jack.  When I had first seen the picture, I thought that she was just looking away because she didn’t want her face to be seen in the picture.  I thought she was just being her usual, stubborn self.

When I looked again, sitting there on her berth.  I saw that she wasn’t just gazing at Jack.  Her gaze was one that screamed protection, friendship and selflessness.  She was looking at Jack because he was her _partner,_ just like Cliffjumper and Tailgate had been.  My breath caught in my throat when I realised that was the way that Optimus looked at _me._

“Sky? You okay?  Cat got your lips?”  _That_ snapped me back into reality.

“Huh?”  Arcee rolled her optics.

“Y’know, that human saying?  When you don’t talk after you have been talking…frag it all.  I can’t express myself through words.”  She raised her fists.  “I’m only good at expressing myself by kicking the scrap out of someone.” 

“Oh Arcee, you and I both know that is not true.  Jack gets you pretty well, so you must express yourself alright to him.  And I think the saying you’re looking for is ‘cat got your tongue?’”  Arcee laughed and smacked her hand to her face.

“By the AllSpark, I have as much intelligence as a pile of slag most of the time.”  I swatted her playfully on her elbow.

“No you don’t – you’re very intelligent Arcee.  Optimus wouldn’t have made you his Second in Command if he thought otherwise.”  She smiled at that.

“Hmm.  Maybe you’re right, though I am sure he has questioned his decision on occasion.”  I smiled ruefully at her and rested my chin on my knees.  Her optics drifted down and rested on my dressed wrist.  “Does that hurt?”  She said, motioning to my arm with a brief nod of her head. 

“Not anymore.  It hurt the most when it happened…I used the energy power to shock Megatron and then I fell awkwardly on it as a result.  It is most likely weakened by the time that dad broke it…so I have to be careful.” 

“Humans are strange.  But a good strange!”  I giggled and sighed. 

“Arcee?”

“Mhm?”

“Please don’t tell Optimus that I got upset tonight, it would only worry him more…and I can’t bear to add to his stress.”  Arcee sighed and buried her face in her knees. 

“I won’t, but I need you to promise me that you’re okay Sky.” 

My eyes glazed but no tears fell. 

“I will be okay Arcee.  I’m under construction at the moment.”  Arcee nodded, apparently satisfied with my answer.  “While we’re being all soft and open with our emotions, I just wanted to say thank you to you Arcee.” 

“What for?  I haven’t done anything.” 

“Maybe you think you haven’t, but you have done plenty.  You accepted me without any issues, and you were there for Optimus when I…when I wasn’t able to be.  So thank you.”  Arcee bowed her head slightly.

“Oh Sky.  You are more than welcome.  You are a special human, I’ll give you that.  Next to Jack, I would do anything for you.  You have this gentle and selfless way about you, heh, you’re like a Cybertronian magnet!”  I laughed at that.  “But seriously Sky, thank YOU.  If you had known Optimus before we came to Earth…he’s a different mech now that he has you.  Losing Cybertron weighs so heavily on his Spark, and I am happier in the knowledge that he no longer has to carry that burden alone.  He thinks as our leader that he has to keep his emotions behind the figurative mask of leadership, but even Primes aren’t good at _everything._ I think that you have saved Optimus from himself Sky.  We are all our own worst judges.  You tell me that in your life, you haven’t ever judged anyone else more harshly than you judge yourself.” 

I didn’t respond to her words because I simply didn’t know what to say.  What she had said about me never judging anyone more harshly than I judged myself was a hundred percent true.  I was just about to respond when the alarm that signalled the Autobots needed back up started to sound.

Arcee gathered me into her arms once more and we rushed through to the main communications room.  Ratchet had already activated the Groundbridge, and Bulkhead was just vanishing through it as Arcee and I entered. 

“Arcee!  You are to take Sky through the Groundbridge and straight to Optimus.  I will follow shortly.”  Arcee gave a brisk nod in acknowledgement of Ratchet’s command.

She carried me through the swirling green vortex and three seconds later, we were in a canyon.  A canyon, I recognised from a long ago vision, courtesy of Alpha Trion. 

Optimus was locked in a fierce battle with Megatron, looking like he was trying to wrestle something off of the Decepticon leader.  I tried to analyse the battle, confused as to why Megatron was only fighting with one arm. 

Then I saw that his other arm was clutched to his chest, not holding a wound as one would expect, but nestled in his clawed hand, was a human woman.

A human woman, who, somehow instinctively, I already knew. 


	27. Chapter Twenty Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> .  
>  WARNING: There is a fair bit of violence in this chapter. There are also two major character deaths.   
> .  
> .

I squirmed and turned in Arcee’s protective arms, trying to get a better view of Optimus and Megatron.  Even with my limited field experience, it was easy to see that Optimus was not fighting to his full ability.  Optimus was only striking Megatron on his right side; the side where the human woman was not being clutched to Megatron’s chest.

Arcee started running towards Optimus, and as usual, he seemed to sense our presence.  His head snapped up to meet my gaze, and despite our surroundings, his optics softened as our gazes locked.  To my surprise, Megatron abandoned the fight and retreated.  Bulkhead and Bumblebee were busy engaging Soundwave behind us, and they were both on the ground, covering their audio receptors in an attempt to defend themselves against one of Soundwave’s famous sonic blasts. 

Optimus took the opportunity to run towards Arcee and I.  As soon as he was within arm’s reach of Arcee, I was transferred swiftly into his waiting palm.  As I went to hook my arm around his thumb, a pain so intense erupted inside my skull.  I grabbed onto Optimus’ fingers for support, and once more my vision faded to complete and utter darkness.

.o

_I got to my feet groggily, looking for Alpha Trion.  His large blue visage came into my peripheral vision and then completely filled my whole field of vision.  His optics looked grave, and the expression on his face was not one that denoted happiness.  He gently placed one finger under my chin and lifted my head up to meet his concerned gaze._

_“Sky, please, conserve your strength.  The—“_

_I held up a hand to stop him mid-sentence._

_“I know Alpha Trion.  The_ Preda _is coming.”  Alpha Trion closed his optics and stimulated a perfect sigh.  He opened his mouth to speak once more, but I shook my head at him.  “I know what you’re going to say, Alpha Trion.  I have made the appropriate arrangements for Optimus after my…”  I bit back a huge sob and took a huge breathe, feeling it sink deep into my lungs.  “After my departure.”  Alpha Trion awkwardly petted my back with a finger.  I laughed weakly and wiped the few tears that had escaped from my eyes away._

_“Is Optimus aware…of what will occur following the_ Preda?”  _I shook my head again._

_“No.  Keeping the truth from Optimus has been the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life.  He is the other half of my soul Alpha Trion.  I would do anything for him.”  Alpha Trion looked at me sadly and then raised me so that I was eye-level with his face._

_“You are confident that he has no indication of what the_ Preda _will bring about?”_

_“I am surer than I have ever been in my whole life.  Optimus does not have a clue what will happen afterwards.”_

_“Good.  His need to protect you would only jeopardise the process.”_

_“I know.  By the time he realises, it will be too late for him to do anything about it.”  Alpha Trion’s optics looked heavy with the weight of the sad truth._

_He broke away from my gaze and looked downwards, seemingly at nothing in particular._

_“I have something else to tell you young one.  You will face one final threat before the_ Preda _can be initiated.  An ability that you have had all along will be manifested after you regain consciousness.  I will briefly test them now.  Please accept my most sincere apologies Sky.”  As he spoke, Alpha Trion produced a small metal sphere from one of his sub-space pockets and threw it very deliberately in my direction._

_I instinctively raised both of my hands to protect myself and shut my eyes tightly in preparation for the impact of the sphere, but I was surprised when it never came.  I felt a slight breeze on my bare arms and opened my eyes.  I was astonished to see a light blue energy dome surrounding me.  As soon as I lowered my hands, the energy dome disappeared.  Alpha Trion was smiling triumphantly and I raised my eyebrows at him._

_“You are wandering what has just happened?  Well Sky, allow me to enlighten you.  Megatron has brought along a human ally whom he has complete control over.  He plans to use her to kill you and then he in turn can destroy Optimus when he is distracted by your fight with this human female.  I have only allowed the force-field aspect of your power to manifest itself now, as there has been no real need for it until now.  There is also one other thing that you must be aware of.” I straightened on his palm and looked at him questioningly.  “The_ Preda _has had to be slightly altered because you are a human.  Because you don’t have a Spark to split; the split will have to be performed on your life force instead.  Your life force is comprised of metaphysical energy, and it is this energy that must be transferred into a suitable vessel.”_

_I took all of this in for a moment and then looked up at Alpha Trion._

_“Alpha Trion, when you say the_ Preda _will use my life force, do you know how much it will use?”  Alpha Trion hesitated before answering me._

_“I cannot say for certain Sky.  I definitely know that you will need substantial rest and recovery after the_ Preda _has occurred.  That is…” his voice trailed off into an uncomfortable silence._

_“I know Alpha Trion.  I will only require rest and recovery after the_ Preda _if I survive it.  If my death is what it takes to get Cybertron back for Optimus and the other Autobots, then I will gladly and willingly give my life for that cause.”_

_“You are an incredible individual Sky.  You have the Spark of a true Prime.  I mean that figuratively of course.”_

_Despite the graveness of the situation, I found it within myself to laugh a little.  I felt Alpha Trion shift his weight beneath me.  “The time is nearing for you to leave me once again Sky.”  As Alpha Trion spoke, my vision began to waver and blur, like when trying to find the perfect focus on a camera lens.  I shut my eyes and rubbed them knowing it was futile, but continuing to do it anyway._

_When I opened my eyes again, it was as if I was looking at Alpha Trion through an extremely long tunnel.  His mouth plates were moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying to me.  I tried to reach out to him, but my arms felt as if they had lead weights attached to them and were not doing what I wanted them to do.  My vison started to slowly fade away completely, and I shut my eyes in preparation for my return to Optimus._

.o

As my consciousness gradually started to return to me, I was instantly aware that the hands I was currently lying in were not Optimus’.  Ratchet’s head moved into my field of vision, a concerned medic’s gaze clear and present in his optics.  I felt the light tickle of a scan before sitting up slowly in his palm. 

I looked up at him confused, as I still didn’t feel fully conscious. 

“Ratchet, why are you here?  Who’s operating the ground-bridge? Where is Optimus?”  I used Ratchet’s fingers to pull myself up into a kneeling position.  Ratchet placed a gentle but firm finger on my shoulder in order to prevent me from standing up too quickly. 

“Easy Sky.  I am controlling the ground-bridge remotely and Optimus is attempting to get the human female away from Megatron.”  I nodded, satisfied by his answer.  I started to look around for Optimus, who wasn’t hard to find due to the deafening sounds of clanging metal that his fight with Megatron caused. 

The woman was now on the ground, watching the fight from a safe distance.  Her face displayed no emotion whatsoever, no fear or even surprise.  It was hard to discern who had the upper-hand in the battle, Optimus and Megatron were both fighting furiously, and even to the casual, untrained observer, it was easy to see that they were easily matched in skill when it came to battle.  Every time Optimus got within arm’s reach of the woman, she would scuttle away until she was just out of his reach or Megatron would kick him back. 

“Ratchet, you need to take me to Optimus NOW.”  Ratchet looked down at me and hesitated, his fingers curling around me protectively.  He looked as if he was about to start speaking when he raised his eyebrows in what looked like surprise.  His optics fell on my chest, and he very gently touched my neck with one finger.

“Sky, I do not recall you having any jewellery on.” 

“What?  What the hell are you talking about Ratchet?  I—“he very carefully hooked his finger underneath something that was hanging from my neck.  I looked down to see a delicate gold chain, on which was hanging an ornate gold sphere.  The sphere was absolutely tiny, just about the size of a thimble, but it was exquisite in its detail.  The Autobot emblem was displayed at the front of the sphere, and looked like it had been melted in to the metal.  Under the Autobot insignia, there were a cluster of tiny blue dots that were no bigger than the head of a sewing needle.  They all glowed the same colour of blue as the Autobots’ optics; the same colour as my new eyes.  Ratchet’s optics widened further than I thought was possible. 

“By the AllSpark…”  Ratchet’s voice was so quiet that it was barely above a whisper.  I only heard his hushed tones because his hand was held so close to his face.  He lifted me even closer, and I saw the delicate lenses within his optics start to rotate, giving his optics the appearance of looking dilated.

“What?  What is it Ratchet?”  He touched the tip of his finger to the sphere. 

“These holes on the sphere…they display the constellation for Cybertron.”

.o  

“Wait, what did you just say?”  My voice came out at a higher tone than usual, evidence of the challenging circumstances that we currently found ourselves in. 

“The holes on that sphere are arranged into the constellation for Cybertron!  _Nebula Colossus._ I have not set optics on that constellation for more than three centuries.”  Ratchet gently touched his finger to his mouth plates and then with the utmost care, touched the tip of his finger to the delicate sphere hanging from the gold chain at my neck.  “Sky, where did you get this?”  I looked down at the necklace as new realisation suddenly dawned on me. 

_The vessel for the energy._

“Alpha Trion.”  I was careful to keep my voice steady and the tone constant.  I could not give Ratchet any clue about the consequences of the _Preda._ His finger moved from my shoulder, and I stood up swiftly, the effects of my meeting with Alpha Trion already long gone. 

“Ratchet, bring Sky to me.”  The sound of Optimus’ voice on Ratchet’s comm line jerked the both of us into action.  Ratchet started running towards Optimus; whose battle with Megatron seemed to have reached a temporary stalemate.  Megatron had now backed off from Optimus completely, and was crooning softly to the woman who was once more in his clawed grasp.

Ratchet deposited me into Optimus’ waiting hand, which he raised up to hold protectively against his chest.  I could hear his Spark humming furiously behind its casing, as it always did when he was experiencing heightened emotions.  The loud rumble of jet engines overhead signalled Starscream’s arrival.  He landed with his usual dramatic flair and stood up to his full height.  Optimus produced his sword and took up a defensive stance as Starscream approached.  The silver seeker chuckled coldly.

“I see you’ve brought your pet vermin Prime.  Has she come to play with the big robots?”  Optimus said nothing but his battle mask slid into positon across his face and his optics narrowed.  Then, without warning, Starscream leapt forward and scissor kicked Optimus straight in his abdomen.  Having no time to prepare for the attack, Optimus stumbled backwards and his shielding grip on me loosened.  It was all that was needed for me to slip through his fingers and onto the hard ground below.  I tucked my bad arm into my chest and rolled to absorb the impact of the fall.  I scrambled out of the way just in time as Starscream’s high-heeled foot stomped down where I had been just seconds before. 

Optimus looked at me and nodded, and I knew it was time for the _Preda._ Optimus bellowed in anger and charged at Starscream, knocking the both of them to the ground with a vibration that I felt in my ribs.  I started to run, away from the fighting giants and towards the human woman.  I had to help her somehow, I had to break Megatron’s control over her.  Our eyes locked at exactly the same time, and hers narrowed.  Megatron placed her tenderly on the ground and she immediately started running towards me with a vicious expression on her face that looked as if it didn’t belong there. 

I waited until she was at least one hundred yards away from me before holding my hands up to show her that I mean her no harm.  This did not deter her, and my stomach dropped when she produced a small pistol.  I moved my hands so that they were in front of my face, and manipulated them until I was once more surrounded by the protective dome of blue energy.  She fired the gun, once, twice and then three times.  Each bullet bounced off the force field and back towards her, but she dodged them with easy grace.  She looked down at the gun, and then discarded it, breaking once more into a run.  My mental shield snapped and the force field dissipated.  She launched herself at me with surprising force, and the both of us fell to the ground.  I raised my good arm to block her blows, which weren’t very well aimed.  She was fighting me desperately, but her attacks were uncoordinated and clumsy.  I shoved her with every ounce of strength that I possessed and managed to roll her off of me.  I got to my feet and risked a quick glance at Optimus.  Starscream was now fighting with Arcee, while Optimus was once more locked in battle with Megatron.  Confident for the time being that Optimus could hold his own against Megatron, I returned my gaze to the woman.  She just stood stock still and stared at me, looking like she was having some sort of internal battle with herself.

We stood there in complete silence, looking at each other and blinking stupidly. She was older, but still attractive. Maybe in her late thirties, she had jet black hair that fell to her shoulders in soft waves. Her chocolate brown eyes were wide, and she looked strangely frightened. Optimus and Megatron were preoccupied across the field, locked in a vicious battle. Every few seconds I let my eyes dart to the two fighting titans, unable to decipher who currently had the upper hand.

 

Something was troubling me about the woman. She was vaguely familiar, but I couldn't think of where or if I had ever seen her before. Secondly, she did not seem at all perturbed at the fact that two giant robots were fighting only two hundred yards away. She was still looking at me, fear giving way to curiosity. Her eyes skimmed over my body, hungrily taking in every detail. Her brown eyes were wary. She took one tiny step forward, shifting forward only by an inch.

 

I held my hands up to her, showing her that I meant her no harm. I took one step forward, and then we were only a few feet away from each other. Although her eyes were looking at me, she didn't seem to _see_ me. She was blinking furiously, almost as if she was holding back tears. She suddenly grabbed her head in both hands, falling heavily to her knees. I knelt as well, placing my hand lightly on her elbow. When she snapped her head back up to meet my gaze, her eyes were streaming with tears.

 

“It's my fault you're here – the Master, he plans to-“

 

Whatever she was trying to say was drowned out by the deep and ominous rumble of thunder, just above our heads. Lightening danced in the sky, lighting it up and highlighting the patches of spilled Energon on the floor. I began to feel all weightless again, as I had done in the courtroom. The difference was that this time, I was controlling _it._ It wasn't controlling _me._ I took a deep breath and forced the energy back down, willing it not to come out until it was absolutely necessary. The thunder was still rumbling overhead, and the woman in front of me was still crying rivers of tears. She lifted her hands to my face and grasped it gently, her fingers running over my nose, lips and cheeks.  Suddenly, she ripped her hands away from my face and started clawing behind her left ear.  I grabbed both of her wrists in an attempt to stop her, but she shook me off easily and carried on with the clawing.  In a few seconds, her long nails had torn enough skin off for blood to appear.  Then she grabbed something between her thumb and forefinger, and with a pained gasp, she pulled something out.  On the end of her bloody finger was a microchip that was barely bigger than a grain of rice.

The pupils of her eyes, which had previously been small and the size of pin pricks, were now large and dilated.  Her face displayed emotion and her eyes filled with fresh tears.  She discarded the microchip into the dusty ground and wiped her teary eyes, leaving blood stains where her fingers had touched her face.  Being clumsy had taught me to always carry a small first aid kit.  I produced it from my shirt pocket, and gently placed a plaster on the small wound that the woman had clawed behind her left ear. 

She smiled at me for the first time, and her smile brought old memories to the forefront of my mind.

_“Look what I made!”_

_“Are you okay?  Did he hit you again?”_

_Her warm flowery scent against my cheek._

_Bedtime stories of long ago lands, filled with long ago creatures._

My own eyes filled up with tears as the realisation finally hit me.  Of course this woman was familiar to me.

“Mummy?”  I held my arms out to her, and she fell into them.  Her hands stroked my hair, my face before moving to caress my cheeks.  I drew back to see that she was crying too, a relieved smile on her face.

“Oh my baby girl.  Mummy’s here, I’m here.  Shh, shh.  It’s all going to be okay now.”  I clung onto her with a vice like grip that Bulkhead would have been proud of.  She planted a maternal kiss on my forehead and held me close.  She still smelled the same, and I breathed in her scent again and again, not knowing how long we had together. 

Heavy vibrations shook the ground and we looked up to see Megatron pounding towards us with Optimus in hot pursuit.  Megatron stopped a few feet away from us and looked down at my mother expectantly. 

“Now Julia!  What are you waiting for?”  Mum looked up at Megatron defiantly. 

“No.  I will not kill my daughter.  Or the noble mech who protects her.”  

Megatron narrowed his optics and growled softly.  He lifted his foot to take a step forward, but before he could get any closer to us, Optimus charged him, knocking the pair of them off of their feet.  Megatron’s landing created a small depression in the ground, and Optimus used that to pin him down. 

I could feel the energy building within me once more, and I knew the time for the _Preda_ was close.  I got up and stepped away from mum and nearer to Optimus.  Optimus drove his sword through Megatron’s left shoulder and Megatron let out a furious bellow.  The Decepticon leader’s right arm came up and he swiped Optimus, akin to a cat when it is boxing.  The blow knocked Optimus off of Megatron completely and Megatron got up, backing away from us.  His injured shoulder was leaking energon and he brought a hand up to support it. 

The scene then changed to match the vision Alpha Trion had shown me on the _Nemesis_ what felt like so long ago.  Megatron had summoned his Vehicons through a groundbridge, and they were taking on the other Autobots but the ‘bots overpowered them easily. 

Megatron wiped the energon from his shoulder and charged at Optimus once more.  Megatron started the death match anew and I started to run towards the two battling titans.  Optimus saw me running towards him and despite the fact that I could not see his mouth because his battle mask was across it, his optics widened in obvious fear.

“Sky!  Fall back!” 

At his words, a sharp pain tore through my chest, not from over exertion but in response to directly going against Optimus’ wishes.  I hated to do it, but the thought that I was doing it for his safety and for Cybertron kept my legs moving. 

“Do as your guardian says human!”  Megatron’s voice was cold and mocking, but I ignored him as well.  Not used to being ignored, Megatron shouted in frustration and drove his sword into the side of Optimus’ abdomen.  Optimus roared out in pain, and collapsed to the ground on his knees.  I went straight to him, placing both of my hands on the back of his.  I looked up at Megatron, who took advantage of Optimus’ injured state to raise his sword once more to deliver the final lethal blow.  I stepped in front of Optimus, and the scene might have been comical had we been in a different situation.  I called the energy to the forefront of my mind, feeling it rise up and up like an electric charge.  I threw my hands forward, and the biggest energy burst I had yet released erupted from them. 

The force of it blew all three of us off of our feet; Megatron in one direction, Optimus and I in the other.  As we soared through the air, I saw Optimus cup his hands, like a baseball player getting ready to catch the ball.  I sailed straight into them, landing in his palm with a soft ‘thud’.  He looked down at me and his optics widened when he saw the necklace I wore. 

“Is that--” I nodded before he could finish his question.  “Then it is time.”  Tears pricked in my eyes and I stood up in his hand, motioning to be lifted up to his face.  He raised the hand I was in to optic level, a confused expression on his face.  I ran my hands over every inch of his face that I could reach before planting a tender kiss right on his mouth plates. 

“I love you Optimus Prime.  I really do.  Listen to me okay?  Do you hear me?  I love you!”  I couldn’t keep some of the desperation from seeping into my voice, and as usual Optimus picked up on it straight away.  He kissed me lightly on the forehead and then drew back, his optics appraising me carefully.

“Sky?  What is the matter?”  I shook my head and took a deep breath.

“Now is not the time Optimus.  We need to get ready.”  He nodded in grave understanding and waited while I called upon the energy.  Before I summoned it, I concentrated and formed a force field over the pair of us so that we could perform the _Preda_ with the minimum amount of interruptions.  Optimus looked down at me in astonishment, questioning me with his optics.  I offered him a wry smile and shrugged.  He opened his chest compartment and behind the Matrix of Leadership, I saw the soft glowing blue light of his Spark.  Now it was _my_ turn to look at him in disbelief.

“I will not let you bear this burden alone little one.  We do this together.”  The tone of his voice was the one he used when he was in full Prime mode, and this moment was no exception.  I nodded and closed my eyes in concentration.  This time, the weightless feeling came over me in stages.  First my hands.  They started to tingle and it felt as if I had pins and needles in them.  That tingling sensation travelled all the way from my hands, down my arms and into my chest.  My heart started to beat furiously, so hard that I was afraid it might burst through my ribcage.  Then it travelled through my torso, down my legs and into my feet.  I started to get black spots dancing across my vision, and I blinked quickly, trying to get rid of the black spots. 

The Matrix of Leadership floated out of Optimus’ chest and hovered just a few feet above my head.  I gasped when my feet left Optimus’ palm, but somehow I knew that it was supposed to happen.  My back arched backwards automatically, my head flopping back so that all of my throat was exposed.  I was vaguely aware of my mother calling my name, and the other Autobots all engaging Megatron. 

My throat started to contract as did my stomach, as if I was going to throw up.  And then…

.o

_And then I saw myself from above, a literal out of body experience.  A blue light was beaming from my eyes, and the light swirled around my body to encase me in a cerulean blue orb.  The light got more intense at the centre of the orb, getting brighter until it was completely white.  The Matrix of Leadership then floated into the orb with me and there was an eruption of blue light, much like fireworks exploding in the sky.  Then the blue orb surrounding me disappeared.  I watched myself as my hair floated around my face, almost like I was underwater.  My mouth then opened in what looked like a silent scream and a tiny blue speck of light floated out of it.  A light shot from Optimus’ optics, straight into the speck of blue light.  He concentrated on it for a few seconds before the light from his optics vanished.  The speck of light then orbited once around my head before going into the necklace._

_I floated back down to Optimus’ palm and ended up on my back.  The Matrix of Leadership floated back into Optimus’ chest and he shut his chest compartments once more.  He traced my face with one finger and-_

.o

I woke up, back in my body and looking up at Optimus.  He had his usual, tender smile on his face.  My breathing was shallow, and in the hollow of my neck I could feel the warm presence of the necklace.  Looking down at it, I saw a soft blue glow emanating from the constellation arrangement.

I couldn’t help but let the huge grin slide onto my face.  I had survived the _Preda_ and everything was going to be okay.   

“Ratchet says that is the constellation for Cybertron.”  Optimus nodded.

“Indeed little one it is.”  There was a soft hiss of sound as the last of the force field that I had conjured vanished.  Our peace was interrupted by a low chuckle. 

“How quaint.  Prime is attending to his pet vermin.”  Starscream and Megatron approached us; Megatron from the left and Starscream from the right. 

Optimus growled softly and started to slowly back away from the two Decepticons, holding me defensively to his chest.  Megatron nodded to something behind us, and all of a sudden Optimus lurched forward, losing his grip on me.  I was barely airborne for more than a second before Starscream snatched me out of mid-air.

His long fingers held me surprisingly gently, not squeezing or applying any pressure.  Knockout emerged from behind Optimus, his red optics smiling cruelly.  Megatron chuckled and pointed his arm cannon at Optimus.  Optimus responded by arming himself with his own guns, one pointed at Knockout, the other at Megatron.  His optics darted from me, to Megatron, to Starscream and then back again.  He stepped forward.

“Ah ah ah!”  Megatron chided.  “One step closer, and your precious pet is ours.”  Optimus narrowed his optics, the expression in them radiating pure and utter fury.  Knockout produced his spiked wheel and placed it against Optimus’ throat.

“I wouldn’t do anything rash Big O.”  My breathing started to quicken again.  We were well and truly outnumbered, and Optimus could do nothing about it.  “Now.  Pray tell Optimus, what is this intriguing Spark-like energy that your pet keeps producing?” 

“It is none of your concern Megatron.  Hand the girl back to me and I will call my Autobots to retreat.” 

By now the other Autobots were with us, all pointing their weapons at the Decepticons.  Starscream was pointing his arm rocket at Arcee, who responded in kind. 

“Kick Bucket Head’s bucket!”  Bulkhead’s voice broke through the tension and Optimus shot him a vicious look that did not belong on his lovely face at all.

“AUTOBOTS, DECEPTICONS, STAND DOWN!”  Optimus’s roar reverberated throughout my whole body and the other Autobots looked at each other in surprise.  Megatron threw back his head and laughed.

“Prime, you honestly think my Decepticons would obey you?  You must have a fault in your processor Optimus.”  Optimus looked nothing but desperate now.

“Megatron, Starscream, please, PLEASE give me the human.  She has done you no harm.”  Starscream burst out laughing.

“Oh my, now THIS is something you don’t see every day; Optimus Prime begging!  You want your vermin back Prime?  Get on your knees and beg!”  Optimus retracted his cannons and got to his knees, spreading his arms as if he was waiting for a hug. 

“Starscream, please, please…”  His optics started to mist over, earning more hysterical laughter from Starscream.  I looked at Optimus, tears streaming out of my own eyes and reached out to him. 

“All right, all right.  Seeing as you asked so nicely…you can have her back.  After I have finished with her.”  And before anybody could react, Starscream switched me to his other hand and held me above his head.  The fingers of his free hand danced above me, making cutting motions like a pair of scissors.  Then he got his first and second fingers and drove them deep into my chest.  The pain that followed was like nothing I had ever felt before.  All the noise around me started to sound deeper and slower.  Optimus leapt over me and charged at Starscream, bellowing in pure rage.  He jumped onto the Seeker’s back and grabbed his neck with both hands.  With one quick tug and a sickening crunch, Starscream’s head was torn clean from his body.  His body fell motionless to the ground.  Optimus dropped Starscream’s head onto the floor and stomped down on it with all his weight, crushing it to expose the delicate circuitry under Starscream’s helm.

“GET AWAY! ALL OF YOU!”  The volume of his shout was phenomenal, and Megatron stepped backwards. 

“Decepticons” Megatron said, his voice deathly silent.  “Return to the _Nemesis.”_ The few remaining Vehicons took flight, whilst Megatron and Knockout vanished silently through the groundbridge. 

.o

Optimus watched the Decepticons leave before making his way over to Sky.  He picked her up so gently, trying so hard not to aggravate her injuries.  She was coughing blood up at an alarming rate, her ivory skin even more pale than usual.  Julia stood worriedly at Optimus’ feet, concerned for her daughter.  Ratchet approached Optimus slowly.  Optimus held Sky out to Ratchet, the look on his face so desperate and lost.

“Ratchet, please **help her.** ”  Ratchet scanned her tiny body.  Both of her lungs had been punctured and were bleeding heavily into her thoracic cavity.  Her heart was beating wildly, trying to make up for the lack of blood in her lungs.  Ratchet discerned from his scan that the wound in both lungs was too big to effectively treat Sky with a chest tube.  She was suffering from the lack of oxygen in the blood and this was getting worse by the second.  Ratchet could almost feel his Spark break in two as he delivered his verdict to Optimus.

“Optimus, she is suffering from a pneumothorax.  Her wounds are too great to treat her effectively.  I am so sorry Optimus.” 

“No, no.  Sky!  Listen to me, you can’t leave me Sky, you CAN’T LEAVE ME!  YOU PROMISED ME!”  Tears of pure water were now falling from Optimus’ optics.  He nuzzled close to her.  “Please Sky, please don’t leave me.”  Sky stirred in his hands and lifted a weak hand to his face.

“I won’t—ahh-leave you Optimus.  I’m—nrgh—always going to be with you...argh—in your Spark.  I love you, I love you, I love you.”  She caressed his cheek tenderly, her heart galloping towards its last beat.  Her lips began to turn blue and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.  She whispered one last thing before her hand fell from Optimus’ face.  “Shh, it is going to be okay.  You’re going to be….okay.”  And then her lungs exhaled for the last time. 

Optimus collapsed to his knees, buckling under the weight of his grief and denial. 

“No, no.  Sky?  Wake up little one.  We need to go home now.  We need to—“He could speak no more as the sobs wracked through his body and he threw back his head and let out a bellow that screamed grief and bereavement.  Arcee approached Optimus, Julia nestled safely in her arms.  She placed a hand on Optimus’ shoulder and he turned around.  “She can’t be gone Arcee…she can’t.  I can’t LOSE HER!”  He held Sky to his chest, kissing her face and her hair.  “Come back to me Sky, please come back to me.  PRIMUS WHY!  WHAT DID SHE DO?”  The other Autobots stood and watched, clueless as to what to do for their broken leader. 

Ratchet called up the groundbridge.

“Optimus.”  Ratchet spoke softly and quietly.  “We need to take Sky home now.  She needs to be…prepared properly.”  Optimus nodded and got to his feet.  He walked slowly through the groundbridge, all the while clutching Sky close to his broken Spark. 

The rest of the Autobots followed him through, wondering what on earth they were going to do now.

 

 

 


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> .  
>  Note: There is some nudity in this chapter.  
> .  
> .
> 
> Start listening to the song when Optimus does. You can find it here: https:)//www.)youtube.)com/)watch?v)=vgJxpgcqmhw  
> Just remove the brackets. :) 
> 
> If you enjoyed, please comment! :)  
> Thank you for taking the time to read ♥

Optimus was the first through the swirling green vortex of the groundbridge.  He still held Sky tenderly to his chest, close to his Spark.  Ratchet came through next, placing a hesitant hand on his leader’s back.  Optimus turned to face his chief medical officer. 

“Ratchet…I would appreciate some time alone.  I will prepare Sky.”  Ratchet just nodded and watched as his broken leader walked down the hall and turned into his private quarters. 

Sky’s bed was still rumpled from where she had not made it that morning.  Her pyjamas were in a ball at the foot of the bed, in the same place she had discarded them so carelessly.  Despite everything, Optimus smiled to himself.  Anyone watching him would not have seen the smile even appear on his faceplate; it was there and gone that quickly. 

Optimus walked over to his ‘bedside table’ and gently laid Sky on the bed.  Seeing her limp and motionless form sprawled out on her bed sent fresh pain coursing through his Spark.  Unable to make Sky up properly due to his large fingers, Optimus folded himself into the Peterbilt truck and activated his holoform.  Not wanting to feel Sky’s soft skin through a false body, Optimus didn’t bother using his human holoform.  He was as he always was, the only difference being that he was 223 centimetres tall in this form.  He approached the bed and knelt down to get better access to Sky.

Her beautiful new eyes were still open, and Optimus carefully manipulated her eyelids shut with all the gentleness he could muster.  He didn’t want June or Ratchet fussing over her.  He knew in his Spark that she would absolutely hate that, and tending to her in death gave him a small amount of comfort. 

Her skin had lost its ivory hue, replaced by a deathly pale blue colour.  Her freckles, once vibrant and clear, were now dull and muted.  Her hair seemed to have lost its shine and hung limply around her shoulders.  Optimus gathered up her hair in one hand and braided it quickly.  Optimus looked at her jumper.  Once a plum colour, the jumper was now almost a black colour because of the blood that had seeped from her wounds onto it.  He ripped the jumper in one easy motion and discarded it to the side.  Before removing her brassiere, Optimus took one of her hands and held it to his face.

“Please, forgive me little one.” 

He lifted her up into a sitting positon and deftly unhooked the undergarment and slipped it quickly over her head.  He quickly covered her breasts with the dark blue throw that adorned her double bed.  Reaching into the cupboard for the first aid supplies, he turned his attention to the wounds situated by her ribs.  Both wounds were neat in their appearance.  Blood had already congealed at the wound entry point.  The wounds ran deep, evidenced by the vast amount of blood that had oozed from them. 

Optimus dabbed a thick wad of gauze in a bowl of anti-bacterial solution and started gently dabbing at Sky’s wounds.  The pure white of the gauze instantly turned a deep, rich, shade of red as the blood soaked into it.  It took five wads of gauze to clear the wound completely of blood.  Reaching into the bottom drawer of Sky’s bedside table, Optimus took a box of sterile surgical thread and needles.  Ratchet was the only other Autobot present on the base who had steadier hands than Optimus, but the Autobot leader knew that Sky would not want Ratchet tending to the wounds on her bare chest. 

Once her wounds were clear of blood and dead skin, Optimus began the delicate process of stitching the lesions in her chest closed.  He worked slowly and carefully, finishing every stitch with tenderness and masterful skill.  He sutured the subcutaneous layer of Sky’s skin first before beginning work on the outer layer.  Once the two deep lacerations had been sutured, Optimus cleaned them once again to rid the area of the new blood that had seeped through the wounds to the surface of her now pale skin.  As he gently drew the antiseptic wipe down the lacerations on her skin, it left a shiny trail of angry red skin and tiny white bubbles.  Then he manipulated her once more into a sitting position and nimbly wound a bandage around her back and ribs to dress the wounds.  Logically, Optimus knew that there was really no need to do this, but he wanted to grant his little one dignity in every aspect of life and death.  The dressing also covered her small breasts, and Optimus felt better in the knowledge that Sky would feel more comfortable if her breasts were covered.

He then moved to her lower half, which did not require much to be done.  He slid her jeans quickly down her legs, throwing them to the floor where they landed in a crumpled heap.  Next he quickly wiped her legs down with a new antiseptic wipe, getting rid of the dirt and the blood that had come from the cuts and scrapes on her legs.  Her underwear was unscathed and did not need to be changed. 

Optimus approached Sky’s wardrobe and quickly browsed the contents.  His optics fell on a neatly folded pair of patterned leggings that happened to be Sky’s favourite pair.  He retrieved them from the shelf and hooked them over his arm, now looking for apparel for Sky to wear on her top half.  He took a white vest top from the bottom shelf and then selected her favourite royal blue roll neck long jumper.  Satisfied that Sky would like his choices, he made his way back to the double bed. 

He placed the clothes on the bed next to Sky and sat her up once more.

“Here we go little one, let me just help you here.” 

Fresh water started to fall from his optics once more as he gently eased the vest top over her head.  Then he picked up the patterned leggings and lightly manipulated one leg at a time into them before pulling them up over her under garments.  He made sure they were securely on before moving onto the jumper.  As his fingers touched the soft woollen material, old memories jumped to the forefront of his mind.

.o

_It was Optimus’ first time using his human hologram somewhere other than the silo.  He looked adorably out of place in the women’s’ section of the department store._

_He measured in at a huge 223 centimetres tall, towering over Sky by approximately 70 centimetres.  Her head just came up to the mid-point between Optimus’ elbow and shoulder.  His hologram had a slightly dishevelled appearance.  Shaggy brown hair fell messily into his eyes, giving the impression that he had just got out of bed.  His eyes were set deep into his face, but still had the same kind look in them that his optics did when he was in his true form.  His facial features were mostly symmetrical, framed by a strong jaw and ears that stuck out ever so slightly.  His teeth were slightly crooked, outlined by thin lips that formed naturally into a smile whenever he set eyes on Sky.  His chin was littered with silver-grey stubble, reminiscent to the two blue patches of metal he had on his chin when he was in robot mode._

_Sky was holding up a royal blue roll-neck jumper, a look of amusing concentration on her face.  It was the same shade of blue as Optimus’ lower legs.  She held it up as an unspoken question to Optimus._

_He appraised it for a few seconds, absent-mindedly fiddling with his red checked lumberjack style shirt while hooking a thumb through the belt loops of his faded blue jeans.  His face screwed up in mock concentration._

_“I like it, but is it not a bit too large for your small frame?”  Sky laughed._

_“That’s the point.  If it gets cold on the base, I can put this on and snuggle right into it.  And it is my favourite colour!”_

_Optimus smiled and sat down on the cube shaped chair in front of the full-length mirror._

_“Why don’t you try it on to be absolutely sure?”_

_Sky slid the garment off of its hanger and put her arms in both of the sleeves before wriggling into it.  Her head emerged a second later through the roll-neck, a few strands of her dark black hair standing up straight on end because of the static that the woollen jumper generated.  She wriggled in obvious glee._

_Optimus stood up and smiled at her._

_“Blue is definitely your colour Sky.  That piece of clothing suits you.”  Optimus smiled as the heat rushed to Sky’s cheeks, giving them a jolly rosy glow.  She approached the mirror and turned this way and that, looking at the way the jumper fell on her slender frame.  She pushed the sleeves up until her hands slipped out of the ends.  The jumper itself fell mid-way down her thighs, encasing her small body in a blanket of wool.  She looked up and grinned widely at Optimus, who had was now standing._

_“It’s perfect!  I love it!”  Optimus awarded Sky his quiet chuckle and signature gentle smile._

_“If you like it little one, then you shall have it.  Is it not a tad on the large side though?”  Sky rolled her eyes in mock annoyance and looked at Optimus from underneath a raised brow.  Optimus held up his hands in amused defeat.  “Alright, you win.”  He winked to show her he was not really cross and placed both hands on Sky’s shoulders.  She took his hands in her own and guided them to her waist, inviting him to feel the softness of the woollen garment._

_“Isn’t it lovely and soft?  I love it.”  Optimus let the soft wool slip over his hands and between his fingers.  He was pleasantly surprised at the softness of the fabric, and after running a quick Google search, discerned that the fabric was commonly used in apparel that was designed to keep humans warm.  Satisfied, Optimus glanced at the price tag._

_“Mhm, it is wonderfully soft, but I still think your hair is the softest thing I have ever had the joy of feeling.  Seventy-five dollars is not a bad price for such a garment is it?”_

_“No, it is quite reasonable, but it will be more once the tax is added.  And don’t you even think about buying this for me.  I’ve got this.”_

_Optimus stimulated an amused sigh and helped Sky out of the jumper before placing it back on the hanger._

_“How do you know I was going to suggest purchasing it for you?”  Sky moved to the cube shaped chair and stood on it, fixing Optimus in a glare that was supposed to be stern.  He shook his head, amused and lifted Sky gently into his arms.  She wrapped her legs around his waist and latched onto him like a koala bear.  He wrapped his arms around her, returning her warm embrace.  “To what do I owe this little one?”  Sky shook her head and buried her face into his neck._

_“I just wanted to give you a coodle, that’s all.”  Optimus smiled into her ear._

_“You are never going to let that go, are you?”  He felt Sky shake her head against his neck.  He set her gently down on the floor and handed her the jumper.  “We had better go and pay for this then, shouldn’t we?”  Sky nodded and hooked the jumper over her arm._

_As they approached the till, Optimus’ holoform started to flicker.  “Ahh, the electric feedback from the cash register is beginning to interfere with my holoform.  Is it alright if I meet you outside?”_

_“Sure!  I’ll see you in a minute.”  Optimus gave Sky a quick peck on the cheek and then deactivated his holoform secretly._

.o

Optimus shook the memories away as he pulled the jumper over Sky’s head.  It was still as good as new, with only a few bobbles on the soft, woollen fabric.  He smoothed out the few creases that had formed, before standing back and looking over Sky.  Her favourite pair of suede, tan coloured ankle boots were sat at the bottom end of the large double bed, and Optimus grabbed them and gently eased them onto her small feet.  He turned his attention to her face, which was thankfully unscathed.  Sky wasn’t a huge make up wearer, but Optimus felt that she would want a little on…at least for her final appearance. 

He started by gently rubbing her face with a hypo-allergenic make up wipe, making sure there was no dirt on her beautiful face.  Dabbing the blush brush into the pale pink powder, he carefully applied some to each of her now pale cheeks, giving them a little bit of rosy colour.  Next he moved to her eyes, and ever so carefully put some nude eye shadow on her pastel coloured lids.  He used his fingers to rub the colours in, making it look smooth and natural.  With a little bit of make up on, she no longer looked…so dead.  He undid her braid and then redid it more neatly, tucking it in so that it laid evenly on her chest. 

She didn’t look complete, and then Optimus realised why.  She was always reading something.  Sky had more books on the base than Ratchet had tools.  Deactivating his holoform, Optimus walked over to his ‘desk’, on top of which sat Sky’s desk which had been a lucky find at a car boot sale.  Manipulating the draw open with one finger, Optimus withdrew her favourite book; _The BFG_ by Roald Dahl.  It was a story for children, but Sky had found pleasure by reading it over and over again, and Optimus had failed to see anything wrong with that. 

As he was walking back over to Sky with the book, he was momentarily distracted by a fluttering sensation on his foot.  Looking down, he saw a tiny envelope with one word on it.  _Optimus._ With trembling fingers, he picked it up and carried it over to his berth.  He folded himself into vehicle mode, activated his hologram once more and tore open the envelope and started to read the letter within it. 

Sky’s handwriting was a fresh stab in his Spark as he began to read.

_My dearest Optimus,_

_Writing this letter to you is going to be one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my entire life.  Before I start with the emotional stuff, let me just say how grateful I am that I had the opportunity to meet you.  You have the most pure soul/Spark that it has ever been my pleasure to know.  You taught me how to love and trust again, and no amount of debt can ever repay that._

_Now, before I get into the nitty-gritty of the emotional stuff, I want you to do something for me.  I want you to run a search on YouTube right now.  You must do this Optimus.  Please do not continue reading this letter until you have searched YouTube for the song ‘Safe and Sound’ by Julia Sheer.  Taylor Swift sung it originally, but this cover is beautiful.  Please listen to it while you read this. I have also printed out the lyrics for you.  I want you to read them whenever you feel sad.  Promise me?  Good._

Optimus accessed YouTube and quickly found the song that Sky was referring to.  He let it play from his speakers in vehicle mode, the sound swiftly flooding the room. 

_I am going to die Optimus.  I saw it in a vision that Alpha Trion showed me.  I do not know how I am going to die, be it from the_ Preda _or some other unknown event.  All I know is that I am going to die.  And if you are reading this, that means I am dead.  The thought of leaving you gives me a physical pain in my chest.  I feel like my heart is about to be ripped out, and there is nothing that I can do to stop it.  The thought of leaving all of you, it hurts like hell.  I’m crying like a baby whilst writing this.  You’re out on patrol with Bee.  But it was always you Optimus, I always loved you.  I always will._

_In my vanity, I want to leave you with some tangible memories of me.  I have arranged for Rafael to make a photo album book for me.  In it are photos of you, me and the other bots.  The kids are in there too!  And no, Raf doesn’t have a clue what is about to happen.  The photo album is paid for; all Raf has to do is get the photos developed and put in the book.  He is such a darling._

_As for my body…I want it to be your decision.  I really don’t care if I am buried or cremated, I just want to be with you._

_There are not enough words in the English language to express how much you mean to me. I think, even if there were enough words, my command of them would not do you justice._

_You are, without a doubt, my very best friend. You have seen me at my very worst and my very best, yet here you are. You chose to stay, and not to walk away. You are the only person in my whole life who has stuck by me. Not even Charlie could stay in the end. In the wise words of the wonderful Marilyn Monroe;  “ I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”  She was a pretty sassy lady I believe._

_You once told me that my name meant ‘to be free’ in Cybertronian. I think that that (double word usage!) is very apt. You have set me free from my insecurities, my fears and my old life. You have set me free from myself._

_As scared as I was that night in the diner car park with those two men…I would not change a single thing Optimus. Because if I did, I would not get to meet you. I’m going to throw another quote at you; this time from the 1995 Pocahontas movie (which just happens to be my favourite Disney film ;) )  “I’d rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without knowing you.” John Smith said that to Pocahontas when he believed that he was going to die the next day. While I don’t mean it in a romantic sense, every word applies to you Optimus._

_You have given me the very best moments of my life Optimus, and for that I will be forever grateful. I have never loved anyone like I love you and I know I will never love anyone as much as I love you._

_You took my broken heart, and piece by piece, put it back together. You think you are a murderer because you have had to take Sparks and end lives. As a wise person once told me; we do the things we do for the greater good. Let me take care of you Optimus. Let me love you._

_I want to thank you Optimus Prime. For all you have done and for what, no doubt you will still do._

_God knows I don’t deserve you Optimus, but for some reason you stumbled into my life._

_I love you, with everything that I am and everything that I can ever be._

_And never forget; No matter what happens, I’ll always be with you…forever._

_Optimus Prime, you are my best friend and the other half of my soul._

_Yours,_

_Sky_

Optimus made no effort to hold back the sobs that now wracked through his body.  His Spark was breaking in two, and there was nothing that he could do to stop it.  His little one was gone, and he was never going to hear her soft voice or ever see the blood rush to her cheeks again.  He hugged the letter to his chest, savouring the last thing that she had touched.  He coated it in kisses, his intakes going a mile a minute; trying to cope with the sudden increase in the volume of air brought into his body.  The song finished and Optimus played it again, the lyrics singing to him and only him.

_Just close your eyes_  
_The sun is going down_  
 _You'll be alright_  
 _No one can hurt you now_  
 _Come morning light_  
 _You and I'll be safe and sound_

He cried.  He cried freely, for the loss of his little one.  He cried in anger that she had been taken so violently from him.  He cried for his Autobots and for his dead planet. 

He knew he was in no condition to look at the photo album that Sky had referred to in her letter. 

Optimus deactivated his holoform and transformed into his bipedal mode.  He picked up the letter off of his berth and tucked it safely into his Spark chamber, right next to his Spark.  Then he cupped Sky’s limp body in his hands and laid down on his back, and cried long into the night, before falling into a restless and fitful recharge. 

.o

_I remember tears streaming down your face_  
 _When I said, "I'll never let you go"_  
 _When all those shadows almost killed your light_  
 _I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"_  
 _But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight_  
  
_Just close your eyes_  
 _The sun is going down_  
 _You'll be alright_  
 _No one can hurt you now_  
 _Come morning light_  
 _You and I'll be safe and sound_  
  
_Don't you dare look out your window darling_  
 _Everything's on fire_  
 _The war outside our door keeps raging on_  
 _Hold onto this lullaby_  
 _Even when the music's gone_  
 _Gone_  
  
_Just close your eyes_  
 _The sun is going down_  
 _You'll be alright_  
 _No one can hurt you now_  
 _Come morning light_  
 _You and I'll be safe and sound_  
  
_Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh_  
 _La La (La La)_  
 _La La (La La)_  
 _Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh_  
 _La La (La La)_  
  
_Just close your eyes_  
 _You'll be alright_  
 _Come morning light,_  
 _You and I'll be safe and sound..._  
  
_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh oh oh_

Taylor Swift – “Safe and Sound”


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> .  
>  Trigger warning: There is mention of a rape in this chapter.   
> There is also swearing.   
> .  
> .

The morning found Optimus in an emotional state of numbness.  He had spent the entire night clutching Sky to his chest, longing to hear her heartbeat.  All that had greeted his audio receptors was the cold, hard silence.  He rose slowly from his berth, not for any reason except not wanting to face the other Autobots.  But he was needed, and his time for grieving Sky’s death was now over.  He placed Sky in her bed and drew the big blue throw over her small body.  He kissed her on her forehead and stayed there for a few seconds, pressing his face to the cold stiffness that was now Sky.  He cycled a large intake of air through his vents and left his quarters, making his way to the main communications room.

He found the other Autobots all gathered around in a loose circle, their shoulders all slumped.  Arcee’s and Bumblebee’s ‘door wings’ were drooping, indicating a dampened mood.  Bulkhead was playing with his fingers; something he did when he was stressed.  And Ratchet…Ratchet was just staring into space, his expression blank and neutral.  At the sound of Optimus’ footsteps, all the bots’ heads snapped up together.  All at once there was a flurry of activity as all four Autobots fussed around Optimus like mother hens.  A small grey hand was placed on his arm, and he silently acknowledged the unspoken support by placing his own huge hand over Arcee’s, giving it a gentle squeeze.  He moved to sit on the medical berth.  It was too low for him to sit comfortably but he didn’t care.  The others resumed their former positions, bar Ratchet, who approached Optimus with a concerned look on his face.  His hands were cupped around a large barrel, the large industrial kind.  Optimus heard something sloshing around in it as Ratchet moved towards him, and he raised his optic ridges in a non-verbal question. 

“Here, drink up Optimus.  Its motor oil infused with Energon.”  The barrel was thrust into Optimus’ hands, suddenly looking much smaller in Optimus’ grasp than it had in Ratchet’s.  As a rule, the Autobots did not tend to drink oil; save for special occasions such as a birthday or Christmas.  Optimus did not want to unnecessarily waste the finite amount of oil that planet Earth had.  On this occasion however, he could make an exception.  He raised the barrel to his mouth and drank heartily.  He tipped his head back to give the liquid an easier passage down into his fuel tank.  His mouth in robot mode was the equivalent of his petrol cap in vehicle mode.  The smooth oil caressed his insides, raising his core temperature by an eighth of a degree.  His intakes whirred slightly faster, working the oil through his systems.  He poured the last of the oil into his mouth, swirling it around a little with his glossa before swallowing it.  It was an enjoyable sensation, and Sky had once told him that her personal equivalent was drinking a hot cup of tea. 

Optimus set the barrel down beside him on the berth and then looked at his Autobots.  All were wearing the same expression of grief and shock. 

“Autobots…a great sadness befell us all yesterday.  I will make the appropriate arrangements for Sky’s…for Sky’s funeral.  For this I shall have to speak with Agent Fowler-“ Optimus stopped himself mid-sentence, realising that the special government agent was currently unaware of Sky’s death.  Bulkhead stepped forward.

“Boss…can we…can we all say goodbye?  We just can’t believe that she’s…that she’s gone.”  Optimus rubbed his optics before answering, refusing to show how he truly felt to his soldiers. 

“Of course Bulkhead, of course you can my friends.  I think Sky would like that very much.  All I ask, is that you please do not remove her from her bed…she just looks like she is asleep, and for the moment I do not want to think otherwise.”  Optimus stood and placed a hand on Bulkhead’s shoulder.  “Thank you my friend, I take strength in your love for her.” 

“Optimus, we all loved her…I know we’ve all got our own human friends, but she was just so special and so…so-“ He stopped speaking then and rammed his fist into the wall behind him, leaving a sizeable dent in the reinforced concrete.  Arcee approached him wearily and held her arms out to him.  He picked her up in his arms and sobbed into her chest while she patted him in a motherly fashion.  Bumblebee stood awkwardly on the fringe as Ratchet pulled him into a hug.  Optimus watched as his Autobots let down their emotional dams and let the flood out.  Arcee and Bulkhead cried into each other as did Bumblebee and Ratchet.  Their little family was broken, and without Sky, would never be the same.

Ratchet was the first one to break the silence.

“Optimus…we should inform the children.  They do not yet know.” 

“You are right Ratchet.  They are all in school today.  Autobots, when you pick them up, will you please inform them of my little one’s…death.  I trust that you will do it gently.”  The three guardian bots nodded and wiped their optics, clearing the pure water from them.

“Boss, can we go say goodbye now?”  Optimus nodded the affirmative, and watched in quiet devastation as his three loyal soldiers slowly made their way to his quarters to say goodbye to Sky for the last time. 

Ratchet remained behind, no doubt preferring to say goodbye on his own.  Ratchet approached the main console and started typing away at it in a desperate attempt to occupy his mind with other thoughts.  Optimus was just about to pick up a data pad when the silo’s proximity sensor sounded.  Moments later, the sound of the elevator descending announced Agent Fowler’s arrival.  Just as he emerged through the sliding doors, Julia padded into the room.  She was in the same clothes, rumpled from sleeping in them.  Her hair was sticking up in all directions and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.  She had Sky’s thick dressing gown draped around her shoulders as she approached the Autobots wide-eyed. 

“Miss Jenkins.”  Optimus’ usual patient tone was absent, replaced by a clipped and harsh tone.  He knelt down in one fluid motion and rested his hand on the floor, palm up.  Julia looked at it dumbly, not realising what Optimus wanted her to do.  “Miss Jenkins, will you allow me to place you on the sofa?”  She nodded without saying anything, her face so like Sky’s it made Optimus’ Spark hurt.  She stepped on and Optimus held her away from his body awkwardly before depositing her by the faded brown sofa. 

Agent Fowler did a double take when he saw Julia sitting on the sofa.  He dropped his coffee, the polystyrene cup rolling away and down the stairs.

“Roxy?!”

.o

Agent Fowler and Julia were locked in each other’s gaze; each looking at the other in what could only be described as pure disbelief. 

“William?”  Julia’s voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.  Julia rose from the faded couch and made her way over to Agent Fowler.  Next to his dark skin, her own hand was the colour of milk.  She traced her hand down his face before laying it on his chest.  “What are you…how did you get here?”  Agent Fowler took Julia’s hands in his own and kissed them gently.

“I’m a Special Agent now.  I liaise with the government on behalf of these guys.”  He nodded to Optimus and Ratchet.  Julia pulled away from him and went back to sit on the couch.  “Have you seen Sky yet?  She said she hadn’t seen you since she was four.”  At the mention of Sky’s name, fresh tears welled up in Julia’s eyes.  She turned away from Agent Fowler and laid down on the couch, her body shaking with quiet sobs.

Optimus took in a deep cycle of air before he spoke with Agent Fowler. 

“Agent Fowler, yesterday…yesterday…” Optimus stopped, unable to finish his sentence.  Agent Fowler looked at the Autobot leader, confused as to why he was seemingly incapable of speech.  Ratchet took over. 

“Agent Fowler, yesterday a most devastating incident occurred.  Optimus and Bumblebee were ambushed by the Decepticons.  Bulkhead, Arcee and myself went to provide back-up…accompanied by Sky.  Her presence was essential…an ancient Cybertronian procedure had to take place and for that to happen, Sky was needed.  Starscream picked Sky up in a sort of hostage situation, I believe.  Starscream…Starscream mortally wounded Sky.  She is dead Agent Fowler.”  Agent Fowler looked straight at Optimus.

“Prime…is this true?” Optimus nodded the affirmative.

“Ratchet, Agent Fowler, if you do not mind, I would like to speak with Miss Jenkins.  Alone.  You can stay here – Miss Jenkins and I will go elsewhere.”  This time, Optimus didn’t wait for Julia to climb into his hand.  He curled his fingers around her body, so warm and soft, as Sky’s had been.  She resembled a rabbit caught in the headlights, her hands exploring his palm for something to hold on to.  Her hand found his thumb and she hooked her arm around it, just as Sky had always done.  Optimus looked sadly down at her.  “Miss Jenkins, please…remove your arm from my thumb.  You are welcome to hold onto any of my other digits…but my thumb is…was Sky’s.”  Julia withdrew her arm so fast that one may have thought she had received an electric shock from Optimus. 

“I’m…I’m sorry.” 

Optimus didn’t go to his private quarters, not wanting to rush his Autobots with their goodbyes to Sky.  Instead he made his way to the Energon storage vault, a small room by Autobot standards but to a human it was roughly the same size as a high school gym.  Optimus sat on the disused berth and set Julia down beside him, though not so close that she could touch him.  She seemed to get the message, sitting down and crossing her legs, withdrawing further into the quilted dressing gown. 

“Miss Jenkins, I would like you to tell me why you abandoned Sky when she was only four years old.”  At his words, Julia rose to her feet.

“How DARE you!  I did not abandon my daughter.” 

“Perhaps that was an insensitive word selection.  Nonetheless, why did you leave her for fifteen years, with an abusive father and no contact?” 

“Please…call me Julia.  Clearly you have come to care very deeply for my daughter, but don’t you dare underestimate my love for her.” 

“Very well Julia.  I do not care deeply for Sky.  I love her more than I know how to comprehend.  She was and still is, the most important person in my life.  So, Julia, I ask you in return.  Please do not underestimate _my_ love for Sky.”  Julia fixed him with a hard stare and she looked so much like Sky, just older. 

“I will tell you what happened.  If you would like to hear it.” 

“Yes, Julia, please tell me everything.” 

Julia took a deep breath and sat back down.

“I met Clarence, Sky’s father when I was going out with William.  He was a janitor at the Army Recruitment centre where William worked…and I guess you could say he took a fancy to me.  He started to ask me out for a drink or to the local diner, but I always said no, I was going out with William and I was not going to cheat on him.  One day, he cornered me as I was walking back to my car.  I used to take William his lunch…anyway.  He cornered me by the garbage bins…it was a secluded corner of the centre outside where there were no security cameras.  He spun me around so that I was facing the wall…I won’t go into the gory details, but he raped me.  Six weeks later, I found out I was pregnant.  There was no way I was going to abort the baby…it wasn’t her fault.  I never told William or the police about the assault, I was sure no one would believe me.  I confronted Clarence, and he reacted unexpectedly; he cried with joy and asked me if I would marry him.  I don’t know why I said yes…but I had no money, no job and he was a freight driver.  At the time…he wasn’t an alcoholic.  I wrote a letter to William ending our relationship and then I left with Clarence.  His base of employment had moved to Jasper in Nevada.  I was a girl from Tacoma, used to the wind and the rain all the time.  The dry heat of Nevada was a big change for me.  Anyway, after a wedding in Las Vegas, we rented a little apartment just outside of Jasper.  And for a while…everything was good.  He was attentive to me throughout my pregnancy…for the first trimester anyway.  Then he started to come home later and later, and each time he came home he was out of his mind drunk.  He became violent when he was drunk.  I recognised the symptoms…I knew he was turning into an alcoholic and I foolishly thought I could deal with it myself.  When I was well into my pregnancy, about seven months, I took it upon myself to remove all the alcohol from the apartment.  I got rid of beer, cider, wine, vodka and so many spirits that I lost count.  I threw them all in the trash, but not the bin in our apartment.  I knew Clarence would just dig it out, so I drove twenty blocks away and dumped it all in a random bin on a side street.  I got home and made a meal for us both, steak with jacket potatoes and peas.  He always liked that.  When he came in…he was drunk as usual.  He went straight to the cupboard where he kept his beer, and was obviously furious when he found it wasn’t there.  He looked at me…and he _knew_ straight away what I had done.  Both dinner plates were smashed to the floor, I remember the smell of the steak wafting up from the floor.  Then he lunged for me, bringing his knee right into my bump.  He beat me until I was black and blue…I drove myself to the hospital, where a kind nurse cleared me up before I had an ultrasound scan.  I was so scared that he’d somehow killed the baby…but when I saw the scan, she was floating around upside down looking as if she didn’t have a care in the world.  She was okay.  I had two fractured ribs and a broken arm.  I pretended I had fallen down the stairs, and I knew the nurse knew that wasn’t the truth, but she didn’t press me for details.  After that, our marriage wasn’t a marriage anymore.  Clarence was just someone I lived with.  He hated it once Sky was born, he hated the fact that he was no longer the centre of my attention.  He hated that I put the baby’s needs before his.  When Sky was a year old; he got sent to Canada for a year to haul freight, something about his contract changed.  That year was the best of my life.  Sky and I played together every day and I was able to put her bed without needing to fear when her drunken father would stumble in through the door.  I got a part time job and my salary was generous enough to keep the apartment and pay for Sky’s needs.  Then he came back and everything started to go bad again.  He would come home again every night, drunk and stinking of beer.  Sky was absolutely terrified of him.  One night, I had just put Sky to bed and I walked into the kitchen to find him rustling about with something on the work top.  I snatched it from him, and found it to be a small bag of cocaine.  I slapped him and ran into the bedroom to grab Sky before I ran out the front door.  I only made it halfway down the street before he caught up with us.  He grabbed me by my hair and took Sky from me.  He put her on his hip and pulled a kitchen knife out of his back pocket.  He held it to her throat.”

Optimus watched Julia’s eyes glaze over as she became lost in the repressed memory. 

“He told me to get the fuck out and to never come back.  He swore on her life that if I ever tried to take her from him, he would kill her.  I believed him Optimus, because that is what he was capable of!  I thought I was protecting her by leaving…and now I come back and it’s too late.  My baby girl is dead, and there is nothing that I can do about it!”

Optimus shuddered at the mental image building in his processor; Clarence clutching a four year old Sky, her then brown eyes wide with terror and looking to her mummy for help.  Watching as her mother left and wondering when she would come back.  Growing up with that abhorrent excuse for a sentient being, but still turning out to be one of the most kind and sincere people that it had ever been Optimus’ pleasure to know. 

Julia placed her head in her hands and cried, hard. 

Despite the fact that it wasn’t his little one, Optimus found himself gently gathering the weeping female in his hands and holding her close to his chest.  She pushed against him for a few seconds before giving in and accepting his comfort.  His Spark didn’t react to the organic’s presence at all.

“Julia…Miss Jenkins, I apologise.  I could not understand why you would willingly leave your child in the care of such an awful person, but I can truly see that you thought you were helping Sky by staying away.”

Julia sniffed and looked up at Optimus.  Her eyes were the same chocolate brown that Sky’s had been before they changed colour. 

“It’s okay Optimus…Arcee told me what you have done for Sky…how you have looked after her like she was one of your own for the past year and a half.  I want to thank you for doing what I couldn’t.  I…I have failed her as a mother.” 

Optimus said nothing but rose from the berth.

“We should return to the main communications room now.  I imagine you will want to speak to Agent Fowler about recent events…and I need to speak with Ratchet.” 

Julia nodded and sat quietly in Optimus’ palm while he walked back to the main communications room.  Agent Fowler was pacing along the catwalk and Ratchet was working at the main console.  Optimus set Julia down next to Agent Fowler who approached her and enveloped her in a huge bear hug.  She let him embrace her, but she did not return his affection.

“Roxy…where have you been for all these years?”

Julia’s shoulders slumped as she moved to sit on the couch. 

“I’ve been in New York.  I trained as a lawyer and I practice family law.  And the name is Julia now.  I changed it.” 

Agent Fowler scratched the back of his head.

“Umm…okay.  Have you heard?  About…about Sky?” 

Julia nodded and pressed a fist to her forehead. 

“William…I need you to help me make arrangements for her funeral.  I don’t know whether to have her buried or cremated.  God, I am discussing what to do with my dead daughter!”  Her eyes welled over again and Agent Fowler placed a comforting arm around her.

Optimus retrieved the letter from his Spark chamber and handed it to Julia.  She scanned it quickly and then gave it back to Optimus. 

“Well…Sky made it quite clear that she has left the decision of burial or cremation up to you Optimus.  I do not want to deny you this Optimus.  It is only right that you make the decision; you who have loved her and protected her when I did not.” 

Optimus simulated a sigh in the form of a large intake of air.  He reached down and gently stroked Julia’s cheek with his index finger.  It was soft and warm like Sky’s, but it was not the same.  He was about to respond when Bulkhead exploded into the room, Arcee and Bumblebee hot on his heels. 

“Boss!”

Optimus spun round, his battle mask sliding into place across his face. 

“What is it Bulkhead?  Another Decepticon attack?”  Bulkhead shook his head furiously.

“No Optimus…its Sky.  She’s…she’s gone!” 


	30. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .  
> .  
>  A/N: I have finally finished Divided Souls. This has truly been a labour of love, and I am proud of the result. :) 
> 
> Thank you to everybody who has read and commented, it really means a lot to me. :) 
> 
> I have more in store for Optimus and Sky, but I will be giving them a break whilst I write my movieverse fics, which I will post once they are complete. :) 
> 
> Thank you! ♥  
> .  
> .

“WHAT?!  Bulkhead, what do you mean she is gone?!  How is that even possible?” 

“I don’t know Optimus, we went into your quarters to say goodbye…and she wasn’t in her bed.  We looked all around in the other areas of your quarters just in case you had told us by mistake that she was in bed.  I know that a bot’s memory chips can sometimes become temporarily corrupted when they have been through an extremely traumatic situation.  But she’s not there…she’s nowhere!”  Bulkhead was wringing his hands as he spoke, his optics wide and frightened. 

Julia pulled herself out of Agent Fowler’s embrace and rushed over to the edge of the catwalk.

“What?  My daughter is gone?!”  She started to climb over the catwalk railing, forgetting the stairs in her panic.  Ratchet stepped forward and allowed her to lower herself into his hands.  Optimus brushed past the other Autobots in the direction of his private quarters, the floor vibrating with each heavy footfall as he ran through the maze of corridors in the Autobot silo base. 

The tall sliding doors leading into Optimus’ quarters were already open as Optimus tore through them.  He went straight to his ‘bedside table’ on top of which Sky’s double bed sat.  The bed was painfully empty, the sheets still rumpled from where she had lain.  He lightly touched the sheets, and they were still warm, indicating that Sky had not been gone for very long.  Ratchet and the others had followed him through and stopped behind him, waiting warily to see the great Prime’s reaction. 

Ratchet set Julia down next to Sky’s bed and she looked at it in disbelief.  Her hands started to explore the dark blue bed sheets, as if she thought she might somehow find an invisible Sky.  She turned to Optimus.

“Where is she?” 

And for the first time in his life, Optimus could not answer the question posed to him.

.o

The first thing I was aware of was the darkness.  The darkness that threatened to consume me, to crush my very soul.  I couldn’t remember anything; my memory was as black as the darkness that was currently enveloping me in its sinister embrace.  It was pressing down on my arms and legs, making them feel as heavy as lead weights.  The darkness wasn’t just around me physically; it was in my head too.  I could hear my pulse thundering away in my ears as the darkness embraced my brain, making all outside stimulus quiet and insignificant.  Words that meant nothing to me but that were vaguely familiar flitted through my mind at what felt like one hundred miles an hour.  _Autobots.  Ratchet.  Arcee.  Bumblebee.  Cybertron._ I fought the darkness, trying to keep it at bay with a mental wall. 

Then there was a burst of colour, passing so quickly that it looked like it hadn’t happened at all.  But when I shut my eyes I could still see that bright blue behind my eyelids.  When I opened my eyes once more, all that greeted my vision was the black darkness.  A cold wind blew from behind me, causing goosebumps to raise on my arms and on the back of my neck.  I couldn’t understand why there was a cold wind blowing if I was literally in the middle of _nowhere._ I tried to call out, but my voice didn’t work.  All that came out was a raspy moan that no one would have a hope in hell of hearing. 

“ _Sky.”_

I looked around for the speaker, but could not see anyone to match the voice to.  I reached out to grab something for support, but found nothing solid to grasp onto.  Solid objects had become as absent as the light, both in, and outside of my head.

I whirled around pointlessly in that blackness for what felt like hours before I saw the blue flash of light again.  This time, I knew I had definitely seen it and started to make my way to where I thought it had come from.  I was not walking, nor was I running.  I was just floating through this empty, dark, nothingness.  Thoughts came and went, so fleetingly I couldn’t even be sure if they were thoughts or reality.  The line between my mind and the outside world became more and more blurred until it eventually disappeared altogether.  I saw fantastical things in my mind’s eye that made no sense at all; lions fighting over a wildebeest carcass.  The construction of the Empire State building.  A woman with long black hair and fantastic chocolate brown eyes, bellowing and trying to draw enough air into her lungs as she struggled to birth her child.

I saw kings and queens sitting down to dine at great ornate tables, behind which hung vibrantly coloured tapestries, not yet dulled by the tests of time.  All of these images passed in front of me like smoke, translucent but lingering for a few seconds.  When I saw the moon, keeping sentry over the Earth, I tried to reach out and touch it.  The image rippled like water as my hand went straight through it. 

Nothing made sense anymore.  Fish flew in the air and birds swam in the ocean.  And yet still the darkness surrounded me.  I turned and did a few somersaults, realising as I took a large volume of air into my lungs, that I had not _breathed_ at all since I had first found myself in this claustrophobic darkness.  My lungs expanded as the air entered them, and all I could think was; _it doesn’t hurt._  I shut my eyes and concentrated so hard I thought my brain might explode.  Re-drawing the line between fantasy and reality.  Why didn’t breathing hurt?

  1. _He killed me._



The name hit me with a force akin to a wrecking ball.  I gasped and reached out for my protector, my friend, the other half of my soul.  But he wasn’t _there._

The panic was strong then.  I felt my heart rate increase as I span wildly, looking in every direction for Optimus.  I screamed his name, but no sound left my mouth.  I tried to just scream, but all I did was a successful impersonation of a gold fish. 

The cold wind started to blow again. 

My hair blew into my eyes and into my mouth. 

And then, that voice again.

_“Sky.”_

I turned to the sound, desperate to get out of this purgatory.  Then my mind clicked with the voice that I was hearing inside my head.  _Alpha Trion._

_“Good girl.  Let go of yourself now.  Just give in to the sensations around you.”_

I focused on Alpha Trion’s voice and moved through the gloom.  It was like walking through cement that was not yet dry.  Every movement was heavy and exaggerated, but I knew I had to reach Alpha Trion’s voice. 

I saw a giant silhouette start to form before me.  I reached to it at the same time as a giant hand reached outwards towards me.  The fingers curled around my body, the first solid thing I had felt since being in that blackness, and I was pulled into a different environment entirely.  All around me were strange wisps of light, both far away and close up.  Hundreds of thousands of tiny white dots littered a black back-drop, the wisps of light gently shimmering and moving amongst them.  I turned around to look for Alpha Trion, and was surprised when I found that I could not see him. 

_“Do not fear young one.  I am present, even though you cannot see me.  Now, pay attention.  You must understand.”_

Before I could make any kind of protestations, the scene before me changed.  The black back-drop remained, as did the thousands of tiny white dots that it was adorned with.  The wispy cloud like lights were gone, replaced by orbs, just floating.  It dawned on me then that I was in Space.

Although I could not physically see Alpha Trion, I somehow knew instinctively that I was sitting on his hand.  Once more the scene changed and I was looking at the beautiful blue planet that I knew and loved as planet Earth.  It was tilted gently on its axis, spinning slowly, around and around.  A beam of white light suddenly erupted from Earth and plunged forward, past the neighbouring planets and into the many clusters of immeasurable stars. 

The hand that I was sitting on followed the beam of light with little effort, as if it was pulling me along.  I sailed past nebulas, galaxies and so many stars that I started to see them behind my eyelids when I blinked.  I passed colours I had no name for, and shapes that mathematicians had yet to identify.  The wisps of light that I had seen previously turned out to be galaxies, and I was awarded with the breath-taking views of one as the hand I was sitting on followed the beam of light through it. 

Finally, the light stopped, and two nebulas moved aside to reveal a giant planet.  It was much bigger than Earth, and a metallic greyish-silver colour.  Logic did not play a part as I gasped and filled my lungs with air at the sight of Cybertron.  I shifted forwards on Alpha Trion’s hand, wanting to be closer to Optimus’ home planet.  At his name, all rational thought left my mind.  _Optimus.  Optimus. **Optimus.**_

I repeated his name over and over in my head, as if reciting it would cause him to magically appear in front of me.  Since I was breathing in space with no assistance from the usual appropriate breathing apparatus, it didn’t seem like an altogether silly idea.  Alpha Trion sensed my distress. 

_“Easy young one.  All will be well.  You must watch.”_

I turned to look at Cybertron again.  It didn’t look as I expected a dead planet would do.  Beneath the thin clouds that served as the atmosphere, I could see blinking lights and what looked like moving traffic.  The spires that Optimus had told me about stood tall and proud, giving the north side of Cybertron an impressive skyline.  Right in the middle of the planet was a glowing blue light, surrounded by high metallic walls. 

_“Primus…”_

Alpha Trion’s voice was low and soft in my head, and I felt my eyes widen as I looked at the life force of the Transformers’ life given. 

The light dove forward once again, and once again the hand that I was sitting on followed it dutifully past huge metallic structures, and pits as deep as the spires were tall.  The light led me into a city, bustling with life.  Cybertronians of all shapes and sizes were milling about, some working on construction and some tapping away on data pads.

We followed the beam of light over a bridge that landed on a circular platform, on top of which was a colossal building.  It was cylindrical in shape, surrounded by taller but thinner cylindrical buildings.  Over the huge doorway were some engravings in Cybertronian, but I somehow I understood them to mean _Iacon Hall of Records._

The beam of light continued through the doors, which swung slowly open.  It was cold inside, and I landed on the floor with a soft ‘thud’.  I turned to look for the hand that I had been sitting on, but could see none. 

_“Do not panic Sky.  The Cybertronians will not be able to see or hear you.  You will have what I believe humans call ‘an out of body experience.’”_

“Okay.”  I didn’t let my voice rise above a whisper, not wanting to alert anybody to my presence despite Alpha Trion’s reassurance.  I shut my eyes and rubbed my temples.  When I opened them again, I saw everything from a bird’s eye view.  I could see the Cybertronian equivalent of bookcase, after bookcase, after bookcase.  There were communication consoles (like the one on the base) every few hundred yards.  Bots of every colour walked through the maze of shelves, filing, reading and typing.  There were low murmurs of conversation, never rising above a low whisper. 

I moved through the Hall of Records with an easy grace, one that I would never have been able to achieve had I not had my ‘out of body experience’. 

I found myself on the uppermost level of the majestic building.  Instead of bookcases on this floor, there stood row upon row of filing cabinets.  This floor was absolutely silent, not even the sound of metallic fingers could be heard tapping on a console keyboard. 

I glided around, not really knowing what I was looking for until I stumbled upon it, quite by accident.  A bot who was heart wrenchingly familiar yet at the same time completely different was working diligently at a station.  He was browsing a data pad with religious scrutiny, swiping every few seconds on the smooth screen to access the next bit of text. 

He worked with the same determination as my Prime, he had the same slight hunch when he was concentrating.  Except I was not looking at Optimus Prime, but Orion Pax.  Orion Pax who had once worked under the master archivist, Alpha Trion in the Iacon Hall of Records. 

His body was more angular than the Optimus I knew.  Gone were his curved shoulders, replaced by a squarer and smaller frame.  His basic red and blue colour scheme was still there, shinier than it was on Optimus now, due to the significant absence of battle scars. 

As soon as I set eyes on Orion Pax, I knew that I was there to watch the events unfold that led to his becoming a Prime.  At this realisation, the mech before me started to move at an increased speed, as if being fast forwarded on a television screen.  It stopped at Megatron, then Megatronus and Orion Pax.  Their heads were both bent over something, and they were speaking, though it was not audible.  Megatronus looked up and I was shocked to see that his optics were not the menacing red that I had become accustomed to, but the same blue as Orion’s.  They almost looked _kind._ He smiled, revealing even denta, not the shark-like fangs I had expected to see. 

The scene fast forwarded again, this time to Megatronus fighting in what I assumed were the pits of Kaon.  Orion looked on as a spectator, not enjoying the violence at all.  Each time Megatronus extinguished a fellow Transformer’s Spark, Orion visibly flinched.  I felt my gaze soften whilst I was watching Orion.  I was witnessing the foundations that would soon be built upon to become Optimus Prime, and at that moment, I could not have been more proud of him. 

Then I was watching Orion address the High Council, his arms outspread, inviting them to listen to his words.  He spoke of ending the Caste systems, of equality for _all_ Transformers, and of how the Autobots, named for autonomy, could help start the new Golden Age.  There would be no need for terrorist Decepticon attacks, or brutal abductions in broad daylight on the street.  Megatronus would order his Decepticon followers to stand down, and Cybertron once again enjoy a time of peace as it had done in the age of the Primes. 

I watched as Halogen listened intently to Orion’s words, and watched him realise that here, right in this very room, stood someone worthy of being a Prime since Cybertron’s Golden Age.  Everything was occurring just as Ratchet had described it.  My imagination had not done his words justice.  I listened as Halogen bestowed the title of “Prime” upon Orion and placed upon him the challenge of undoing the damage that Megatronus and his Decepticons had done.  I watched Megatronus leave the High Council chamber, not looking back as Orion called after him again and again. 

Orion’s shoulders slumped as he watched Megatronus exit the council chamber.  The other bots stood around in shocked silence, the only sound being Orion’s footsteps, as he too exited the council chamber.  Time went into fast-forward mode again.  I saw scenes of politics, the Autobots huddled together in a secret room, going over defence and attack strategies.  I watched the Decepticons start their long and fateful assault on Iacon.  I watched as Orion prepared to make the journey that would take him to the Matrix of Leadership and complete his transition to the rank of Prime. 

I watched Orion descend deeper and deeper into Cybertron, getting ever closer to the core that was slowly poisoning the entire planet.  I observed as he travelled alongside the Space slugs that fed naturally on the poisonous Dark Energon infecting the planet.  The slugs paid him no mind, and Orion responded to the colossal creatures in kind. 

After what seemed like endless travelling, Orion finally found himself before the very core of Cybertron.  No Transformer in recorded history had ever been to Cybertron’s core before, and Orion seemed to be surprisingly humbled.  The core was a huge ball of light and it was pulsing gently.  As Orion drew nearer, the great orb started to pulsate and glow.  A beam of light shot out from the orb and enveloped itself around Orion.  An extremely large object floated out of the orb and towards Orion.  The object had a sphere situated directly in the centre.  On either side of the sphere were two handle-like structures, both silver in colour.  The sphere itself was a solid gold colour, with intricate hieroglyphics carved into the surface. 

As the object made its way towards him, Orion’s chest pieces lifted and the object floated to sit snuggly over his Spark chamber.  Orion was then immersed into a bright light, so bright that I had to temporarily avert my gaze.  I heard him groan slightly, before he let out a guttural bellow so loud that I could feel it in my absent body. 

The light slowly dissipated, falling away to reveal Orion’s – now Optimus’ new body.  The light fell away to reveal the Optimus that I was more familiar with, though he hadn’t yet acquired his curved shoulders.  The orb in front of him remained intact, though it started to shift and move, forming what looked like a face in the swirling mists of opaque light.  Optimus caught sight of the face and fell to his knees at once, looking down at the ground.  

He was as still as a statue, and one might have indeed thought that he _was_ a statue, were it not for the quiet words he was repeating, over and over.

“Primus, the Incarnation of Creation.  How may I serve you?  Primus, the Incarnation of Creation.  How may I serve you?  Primus, the Incarnation of Creation.  How may I serve you?” 

He said these words over and over, all the while never raising his gaze from the ground. 

A deep, resonating voice answered him.

“Rise Optimus.  You do not need to bow to me.”

At once Optimus got to his feet, but still did not raise his optics to meet the noble face in the centre of the orb of glowing light.

“Do not be afraid to look at me young one.  Let me look into your Spark.” 

Optimus lifted his head and looked directly into Primus’ optics.  Primus’ optics widened and then he regained his former composure. 

“I sense an innate goodness and nobility within you, Optimus Prime.  Speak, my child.  I sense that you wish to say something to me.”

“There is so much that I want to say to you Primus…but first, I must ask you this.  Why are you calling Optimus?”

Primus chuckled gently.

“Let me tell you a story Optimus, of a language on a distant planet.  There is a language, on a small but significant planet, a language that is known as Latin.  This language is derived from our very own.  The species that is indigenous to the planet in question have formed their own language, based on the basic writings of Cybertronian.  Their language is more phonetic than ours, as they are a carbon based life form, and possess biological muscles instead of mechanical parts.  ‘Optimus’ is a word in Latin, and loosely translated, means ‘the best’.  Simply put Optimus, I have given you that designation because you are the most deserving Cybertronian that the title of ‘Prime’ can be bestowed upon.  You are going to be the greatest Prime that there has ever been, in the entire history of Cybertron.  Optimus seemed a fitting choice.” 

“Optimus, I am sorry to tell you that we are running out of time.  I would like nothing more to answer the many questions that you no doubt wish to ask me, but I must assign to you a task of utmost importance.”

Optimus waited patiently for the Incarnation of Creation to inform him of what the task was. 

“As you are aware Optimus, I became one with the very core of our planet once Unicron had been destroyed.  By doing so I ensured that life on Cybertron was able to continue.  Megatron…Megatron poisoned Cybertron with Dark Energon.  The Dark Energon has reached the planet’s core, and Cybertron is dying.  As Cybertron and I are one and the same, I too, am dying.  I can delay the process for only so long, but ultimately, Cybertron will perish and no longer be able to support life.  Your task Optimus, is to save Cybertron.  Cybertron _will_ die before you can save it, but Cybertron can be revitalised.  I know not how, or when.  All I can tell you is that the key lies on the small but essentially important planet; Earth.” 

“Go well, Optimus Prime.” 

It was then that everything before me started to fade, Optimus started to swirl into the rest of the environment, all the colours mixing and bleeding into each other. 

I tried to scream out for him, but once more, my voice was non-existent. 

I felt myself being pulled back, and nothing I did could anchor me in place.  I lost sight of Optimus and Primus completely, before losing sense of everything once more. 

.o

When I regained consciousness, I was aware that once more I was seemingly without a body.  I started to move forward, but was stopped by something invisible to me.  I tried again, but I could not break the invisible barrier no matter how much force I slammed into it with.  I stopped concentrating on trying to get out, and started to try and figure out where I was. 

Below me I could see Alpha Trion bent over some sort of anvil.  Like him, it was enormous, large enough for him to work comfortably on.  He wasn’t using any kind of tools that I could see, and the traditional sound of metallic banging was absent.  Alpha Trion looked up directly at me. 

“Ahh, you have awakened my young one.  Do not panic, you will be free from the vessel in time.  At this present moment in time, you exist only as an entity.  I believe humans call it a spirit, or a ghost.  You will have a new body, but this is a lengthy process.  We must create you a new body, and then link your consciousness to it so that your mind and soul can be transferred into it.  Sky…you must know that something of this ilk has never been attempted before.  When the time comes for you to be transferred into your new body, I will call upon Primus himself.  There is no other Cybertronian who knows more about mind-body splits than he.” 

“Will I…will I still be human?” 

Alpha Trion nodded solemnly and then returned to his work on the anvil.  I turned my attention away from Alpha Trion and towards our surroundings.  We were in a circular room, with four columns situated at focal points throughout the circle.  Each column reached right up to the ceiling, which was many hundreds of feet above Alpha Trion.  The pillars curved in shape with the walls and all met in the centre of the ceiling, in which there was an ornate feature.  It was silver in colour, but more colours emerged from the heart of the feature, all bleeding into each other, creating the illusion of a firework in mid-explosion.  The only sound in the room came from Alpha Trion as he continually shifted his weight from one foot to the other.  I floated to the bottom of the container I was in and let my mind wander into nothingness.  There seemed to be no concept of time in that place, everything stretched over endless hours whilst at the same time passing by in the blink of an eye.  It was a thoroughly disconcerting sensation.  Alpha Trion continued to work at his anvil, never looking up. 

The time went by, slowly and quickly at the same time.  The room changed from light to dark, from light to dark and then back again.  All the while, Alpha Trion never wavered in his task. 

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, Alpha Trion turned his attention away from his work and called up to me. 

“Sky?  It is almost time.  Be ready.” 

I didn’t answer him, but somehow knew instinctively that he would know I had acknowledged his words.  I increased my consciousness level, unsure how else to prepare for my transfer into a new body.  I floated over to where I had a better view of Alpha Trion below.

“Alpha Trion?” 

Despite the fact that I had no voice to speak with, Alpha Trion still looked up as I said his name. 

“Yes Sky?”

“Umm…can I see the new body please Alpha Trion?”  Alpha Trion hesitated before he answered. 

“No Sky, I am afraid I cannot allow you to see your new body just yet.  If you are distracted during the transfer process, your mind could be lost to the void for all eternity, and it is my duty to return you to Optimus, physically and mentally intact.  I cannot speak for your emotional health, as I feel that Optimus is no doubt better equipped to help you in that particular respect.”

I decided not to argue with that.

.o

After a lengthy pause in proceedings, Alpha Trion called me once more.  I made my way to the edge of the vessel that contained me and focused my vision onto him.  He had stepped back from his anvil, but what he had been working on was covered by as sleek silver sheet.  I could not see any shape beneath the covering.  I started to feel extremely apprehensive. 

“It is almost time Sky.  I will summon Primus shortly.” 

“Alpha Trion?!”  My voice came out higher than I intended, giving way to the fear present in my mind.  “Will I still be human?  How can you just summon Primus?  I thought…I thought he was dead?”  Alpha Trion smiled and looked up at me.

“Do not fear my young one.  You will still be human – I do not know how to put your mind in a Cybertronian body, and even if I did, I sincerely doubt that you would want to go back to Optimus as an Autobot.  As for Primus…he is as alive as you are Sky.  Energy cannot be destroyed…it merely transforms.” 

He turned away from me and faced the western wall.  He raised his arms and started to move his hands in a strange manner, waving them this way and that.  After a few moments, a low humming noise started.  It was quiet at first, but got progressively louder as time went on.  The same orb of light appeared that I had observed Optimus standing before when he became a full Prime.  It glowed brightly, swelled and then dimmed again.  It did not appear solid.  It looked misty and translucent, the wall behind it faintly visible through the eerie light.  The same face slowly appeared in it, and the age old optics looked upwards to find me.  The face within the orb smiled. 

“Ahh.  You are everything I had hoped for Optimus and for Cybertron my young femme.  It will not be long now, and you will be back with your guardian.  But in order for this to happen, you must first trust Alpha Trion and myself.  Can you do that Sky?” 

“Yes.”  This time my voice came out, barely audible.  Primus smiled once more and then nodded to Alpha Trion. 

“In order for your soul to be transferred to the new body Sky, you and I need to link minds.  The link between our essences will form a bridge for your soul.  I must warn you, nothing like this has ever been attempted in recorded Cybertronian history.  Do you wish to proceed?  There is no guarantee that the transfer will be successful.” 

I knew that I had to get back to Optimus, no matter the cost. 

“I wish to proceed Primus.  I must return to Optimus.”  Primus nodded solemnly, and then I felt the strangest sensation. 

The sensation came from something that I couldn’t fathom.  A mental assault inside my mind, and I instinctively brought down mental walls to keep the intruder out of my head.  I belatedly realised it was Primus and immediately opened my mind to allow him access to my soul.  The invisible barrier of the vessel that I was in dissipated and I felt myself being pulled downwards towards Alpha Trion and Primus. 

As my consciousness joined with Primus’, I felt my whole self-awareness widen and expand.  I was suddenly mindful of so much more around me.  The dust motes floating in the air, just like their own little galaxy.  I noticed for the first time the tiny flecks of rust in Alpha Trion’s armour, around the inner corners of his optics.  I felt Primus gently probe at my consciousness, and I let him in even further.  Primus concentrated the bridge between our souls onto the body resting silently beneath the soft sheet.  I felt him nudge my consciousness softly in the direction of the body and I took no hesitation before proceeding. 

.o

As I started to link with the new body, things started to go dark.  Noises grew faint and distorted.  I was still aware of my surroundings, but it was as if I was trying to run through mud.  It felt like I was in procession of a body once more, and when I tried to move my arms and legs, they stayed rooted to the hard surface that I was laying on.  I could see nothing, and the limited hearing that I did have was not clear at all.  It was like hearing things from a sound-proofed room, the sound was definitely there but had no definitive way to identify what kind of sound it was. 

I suddenly felt a pain so intense that it felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest.  I didn’t try to scream through the pain, as I somehow intuitively knew that I would not be able to make a single sound…not _yet_ at least.  Starscream stabbing his fingers through my chest was like walking through a field of wildflowers compared to the pain that was currently coursing through every nerve ending in my body.  My head started to pound, and it felt like somebody had put a belt around my skull and was tightening it as much as was humanly possible.  There was pain in the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet, as if I was walking _and_ crawling on hot coals simultaneously.  It felt as if my entire body was on fire and being submerged in an ice bath all at the same time. 

My brain did not want to communicate with my limbs; they stayed laying stubbornly at my sides while I writhed in mental and physical pain.  I was vaguely aware of Primus’ presence in my mind, trying to offer me comfort from a distance.  I knew he meant well, but his comfort did nothing to alleviate the pain that was soaring through each and every one of my veins.  I could feel Alpha Trion’s smooth stainless steel fingers dancing lightly up and down my body; down each of my arms and legs, around my neck and the backs of both knees.  He tapped each knee lightly with his index finger and gave a satisfied nod when my reflexes behaved as they should.

There was an abrupt pounding in my ears, and it sounded like someone was playing a kettle drum right inside my head.  My skull vibrated with each pound, setting off a super-nova style headache behind my eyelids.  The banging in my head was soon joined by an equally intense pounding in my chest, which made my ribcage reverberate. 

_“Soon”._ Primus’ voice startled me but I listened to his encouraging tone and took comfort in his presence. 

Another low rumble that I recognised as Alpha Trion’s voice sounded close by.  He sounded pleased.

“Mmm.  The heart has started to beat.  It won’t be long now my young one.”  I felt his fingers rest lightly on my forehead and move some hair away from my eyes.  “The body temperature is rising.  The transfer has been successful.” 

My fingers started to twitch, followed by my hands, and then finally my arms.  I pushed myself up into a sitting position.  I could see Alpha Trion looming over me with a broad smile on his face whilst Primus hovered silently behind him in his orb like form.  Alpha Trion cupped his hands around me and lifted me into the air so that we were at eye to optic level with each other. 

“Sky.  There are a few things that you need to be made aware of before I return you to Optimus.  You are now immortal.  You can still be killed by a fatal injury and by illness.  Please do not become unnecessarily reckless Sky; you are still very vulnerable.  During the transfer process, the energy contained within the neckless you were wearing was also transformed.  It has taken on a physical form and is known as the ‘Heart of Cybertron.’  It is absolutely _imperative_ that it does not fall into Decepticon hands.  You must protect it at all costs Sky, with your life if necessary.  You are now in complete control of your energy power.  Your power is comprised of a number of talents; telekinetic and psionic energy.   This is the energy which you can project from your body.  During the transfer you acquired a new power; telepathy.  You will be able to read others’ minds to a certain extent, but only if you concentrate solely on that one person.  It will allow you to converse with Optimus inside your mind and vice versa.  This will be extremely useful in any future battle situations or if you have to communicate over a vast distance.  Do you have any questions?” 

I thought for a millisecond and then shook my head.  My new brain seemed to be able to absorb new information at ten times the speed that it had done before.

“No Alpha Trion.  I don’t think I have any questions.”

“Good.  Sky, in all my existence, I have never before encountered a bond like the one you and Optimus share.  You are inextricably linked, and you must cherish one another for all eternity.  Now Sky, we must move swiftly.  The window of time which we have available to return you to Optimus is growing smaller by the astro-second.

.o

** Autobot Outpost Omega One  **

Since discovering Sky’s mysterious departure, none of the Autobots had moved, save for walking to the main communications room.  Optimus was sat on the examination berth, staring blankly into space.  Julia was sitting on his right foot, playing with a loose strand of her long, black hair.  Ratchet was looking at the main console screen, but was not really seeing anything.  Arcee was sat against the wall, her face buried into her arms which were resting on top of her knees.  Bumblebee and Bulkhead were nearby, both playing with random pieces of scrap metal which was ‘clinking’ softly in their fingers. 

They were all interrupted from their dazed reveries by the sound of the proximity sensor.  Ratchet blinked dumbly for a second before pressing the button that shut off the harsh beeping noise.  He selected the sentry monitor that showed the top of the silo.  There was nothing to see. 

Optimus wordlessly rose to his feet and walked over to the elevator which would take him to the top of the silo.  He just had an instinctive feeling that he needed to inspect the interruption, and that he needed to do it alone.  He held a hand up to his Autobots; a silent command that they were to stay where they were.  They obeyed their leader without question. 

During the short ascent to the top, Optimus armed himself with his left ion cannon.  His left arm was always his first choice and always his best shot.  He could fight with his right arm just as well, but his left always felt more natural.

He emerged from through the top of the silo and stepped cautiously off of the elevator platform.  There was no obvious threat, and his scanners detected no Decepticon signals within twenty miles.  There was an unfamiliar scent in the air, and Optimus increased the air intake into the vents on the back of his head through which he ‘smelled.’  The scent was definitely organic and female, but not one that Optimus recognised.  Illogical hope ran through his circuits, and he quickly returned to rational thought, but not quickly enough to stop his Spark humming excitedly in its casing. 

“Optimus?” 

Optimus felt his Spark skip a beat before it started again.  _Her_ voice…but how?  Not daring to believe what he had just heard, he slowly turned around to find the speaker. 

His optics fell on a tiny human female, no taller than five feet.  Her skin was pale ivory and her long black hair tumbled past her shoulders in loose waves before ending midway down her back.  Her eyes were wider, more doe like, but still a brilliant blue.  Her face was more defined, somehow more adult.  Her lean and lithe body was clothed in a knee length white summer dress, her delicate feet bare.  The young female looking up at him didn’t look totally like his Sky, but he knew that she was _his little one._

Emotion overcame the huge Prime, and he fell onto his knees.  She ran forward to him, and he found his hands sweeping her off of the ground, seemingly of their own accord.  Tears ran freely from her eyes and down her cheeks as he brought her close and she covered his face with kisses and tender embraces.  He reciprocated with his own tender contact, nuzzling her with his helm and brushing his lips against her face, kissing her with the utmost gentleness. 

He drew back and looked at her, using one finger to gently trace the outline of her beautifully warm, soft cheek and stroke her cashmere hair. 

“Little one…is it truly you?”  Sky nodded, her tears still in free-fall.  She latched onto his thumb and planted a small kiss on it, before assuming her usual position in his palm.  “H…how?”  Sky laughed weakly and shook her head. 

“It’s a long story Op, how about we go for a drive and I’ll tell you all about it?” 

Optimus nodded eagerly and rose to his feet.  Sky spoke once more as he started to make his way back down into the base. 

“First, I need to tell you something that is of the utmost importance.”  Her voice was heavy with seriousness, and Optimus waited nervously for her to continue.  “I love you, Optimus Prime.”

Optimus treated her to one of his golden smiles and brought her close to his face.

“I love you more.”  Sky fixed him with her typical stubborn look, appraising him from beneath her dark eyelashes. 

“Impossible.”

Optimus kissed her gently, and then together, they descended into the base to reunite their little family. 


End file.
